The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive
by Bard15
Summary: Sequel to "A Ping on Hetty's Radar". The case that brought Deeks to Hetty's attention heats back up with a prisoner transport assignment for our detective; and of course his NCIS team is never far behind.
1. Chapter 1

**The Bad Guys Never Forgive & Never Forget**

Sequel to "A Blip on Hetty's Radar"

a/n: god, if the bad guys were really as vengeful as us fic writer's make them out to be cops/agents would never get any work done. So, anyway here's the sequel I promised. For this to work logically (well, as logically as any fic can) it has to take place after the first couple of cases Deeks worked with the team...I would think that the "deju-va" feeling Callen would get at seeing Deeks again in those two eps he was in in season one would have been pushed to the back of his mind with trying to rescue Dom and later his cover being blown at the end of season one...so I see this as maybe happening after epi 1 or 2 in season 2 when things settle down into a more normal routine and Deeks is around more often.

a/n: I'm hoping Callen's reactions/actions will not be seen as OOC...I'm just remembering how over protective and single minded he was about protecting/avenging Renko and Hunter's murders...so image how he would feel about forgetting someone who saved his life! And Sam would definitely have a new respect for Deeks—after the detective stepped in, despite how the team had thus far treated him, and saved their lives, on more than one occasion: and I strongly believe that Sam is a lot smarter and more sensitive and in-tune to his teammates than his "gruff" exterior suggests.

**NCIS LA**

"Really, more paper work...does this stuff wait 'til we leave and spawn overnight or something," the LAPD detective complained as he eyed his in box like it would strike out at him at any minute.

Callen just smirked as he looked over at the frowning detective, and again a brief flash of a half-there memory flitted through his mind, before melding together with the endless faces he had encountered over the many years as an agent. The detective had worked a few cases with the team over the last four months and was slowly becoming a regular fixture at the NCIS office and the elusive memory had been with Callen for almost that long—it was really starting to bother him.

Sam, too, had looked over at the petulant detective then to the teetering stack of files in the inbox and grumbled, "If you'd try doing it more than once a month you wouldn't have that problem, shaggy."

Apparently having a death wish, Deeks sent the bigger agent a scathing look as his eyes took in the pristine nature of the ex-SEALS desk...and inbox, "humph...we all didn't have laughter and fun surgically removed when we signed on the job...I have important things to do—like surfing..."

"_**Really, with the attitude...must be true all feds have their sense of humor surgically removed..."**_

And it suddenly hit him...why he got that niggling feeling that the detective was somehow familiar to him; and really how could he have forgotten...the man sitting across from him had literally saved his life.

"It was you," Callen exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and moving to stand in front of Deeks desk.

Startled, Deeks took several steps back, hands up defensively, "What...me, no...Whatever it was; it wasn't me! Wait, what did_** I**_ do?"

Looking towards his partner, Callen said emphatically, willing Sam to remember to, "The arms case...it has to have been, what, close to two years ago...suspects name was..."

Eyes wide with sudden recognition, Deeks finished the sentence, "...Harkins, Douglas Harkins...that agent; that was you?"

The detective and the agent eyed each other critically for a moment: Callen took that time to note the differences between the detective as he stood before him now, compared to the undercover he had encountered that day. Deeks was certainly rougher looking back then; his hair had been darker and cut much shorter: and the hard edge of that man was diametrically opposite to the free spirited man he now knew.

Meanwhile, Deeks let out a low whistle, "How could I forget that...I mean, really, you haven't changed that much..."

Having watched the interplay between the two men with curiosity, Sam finally said, "Think about it...how many people do we encounter on a typical op...And you spent all of what—twenty minutes together almost two years ago..."

Sam looked back and forth between the men, while Deeks seemed fairly amused and pleasantly surprised by the whole deal; Sam could tell Callen was clearly troubled by the revelation.

Before Sam could call his partner out on his odd reaction all the men suddenly felt eyes on them and turned to see their operations manager eying them with her signature inscrutable look; though Callen could swear he saw the corner of her mouth twitch in a slight smile.

"You knew didn't you," Callen accused lightly.

"I may have taken the time to read over the case files the LAPD provided...after all our cases did overlap..." stopping a moment to pin both Callen and Deeks with a piercing look, she added, "dangerously so, I might add."

Deeks brows furrowed in thought as he returned Hetty's gaze, "so you already knew who I was...when I ran into Kensi and Callen on the Zuma case? Why didn't you say anything...coulda' saved Sam and I a few bruises..."

Chuckling, Sam interjected, "Could have saved _**you**_ a few bruises you mean..."

"I have to admit to a bit of difficulty getting a hold of the case details in a timely fashion," Hetty admitted reluctantly, adding, "...and I wasn't going to jeopardize whatever undercover you had established."

Not quite convinced that the "great" Henrietta Lang would have trouble getting information from anybody, but deciding to let it drop for now, Callen instead gave voice to something else they were all thinking, "So you didn't suddenly decide during the Zuma case that we were in need of a liaison officer?"

Raising her eyebrows at the subtle accusation, Hetty said innocently, "Why, Mr. Callen, it is my job as operations manager to be appraised of anything that may impinge on an NCIS case..."

"Uh, huh..." Callen intoned, unconvinced.

"Now, as we are currently without any active cases...there should be no reason this paper work should not be completed and filed by the end of the day," Hetty said.

"End of the day...but Hetty, really...there's like a month's worth of action reports to do," Deeks exclaimed.

With a raised eyebrow and a stern tone belied by the slight grin crossing her features, the woman said, "then I suggest you get started, Mr. Deeks."

Sam just shook his head in exasperated amusement at the detectives grumbling, before shooting his partner a furtive look: noting that while Deeks, grumbling all the way, got right into his paperwork, Callen was slower to start and kept casting glances at the detective.

By lunchtime, Sam had had enough of his partners furtive, frown inducing glances at the busy detective...it almost seemed to Sam that his partner was angry at the detective, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

He himself (thanks to the Zuma case), Callen surely and Ops in general owed the detective a debt several times over...Deeks had, at not only great risk to his own life but to the success of several ops the detective had devoted months of his life too, saved his and Callen lives. And while the shaggy, annoying, and often over the top man was not exactly on Sam's top 10 List, the detective did deserve their (grudging) respect.

Leaning back in his seat, Sam stretched and commented, "Lunchtime..."

Callen looked up at his partner, then up at the clock, surprised that it was nearly twelve thirty. They both looked over at the detective who didn't acknowledge or look up from whatever he was working on.

"Hey, Deeks, lunchtime..." Sam called out, startling the detective.

"Huh...oh, uh, what..." Deeks stuttered, having been pulled from his 'paperwork' stupor, "...oh, lunchtime...yeah...no, I better get this stuff done; I've seen Hetty lurking with her letter opener..."

"Ya' gotta eat," Callen said, sharper than he intended.

Though surprised by Callen's sharp tone, Deeks brushed it off, raising his hands to indicate an imaginary scale, "...hhmmm...missing a meal—Hetty's letter opener..."

Sam just chuckled, shaking his head at the detective's antics while Callen's scowl deepened, cutting off further bickering, Sam said, "...we'll protect you. Look, we'll just grab you something while we're out..."

Surprised by the offer, Deeks replied, "Uh, yeah, sure...whatever's good...but I got some snacks in the bag..."

"Not a problem, man..." Sam said with a wave of his hand, clamping his other hand on his partner's shoulder, "come on G, let's get out of here for a while; let shaggy get back to work..."

Callen about to protest, but a pointed look from his partner stopped him and he grudgingly stood from his seat and followed Sam to the car.

They drove in silence for several minutes before Sam sighed loudly and glanced at his partner, "Okay, out with it G. What's buggin' you?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Callen shot his partner what he hoped was an innocent look, "What...nothing..."

"Yeah, try again G; this is me you're talking to," Sam reminded the reticent man, "You've been shootin' Deeks strange looks all morning."

Callen scowled, angry with himself for being caught, "I don't know man...it's just—how could I forget the case-how could I forget the cop that saved my life..."

"Cut yourself some slack G, it was two years ago," Sam replied, adding, "Deeks didn't remember either. Hell, I'm ashamed to admit it, but it didn't even ping on my radar."

"And that's just it...how could I forget a name like 'Deeks'—not exactly common," Callen continued, undaunted in his self-recriminations, "when we found out Sully was Deeks it should have hit me then..."

"You had time for introductions, you never told me that..." Sam questioned.

Smirking, Callen recounted his brief conversation with the detective during the Harkins case, "yeah, told me he wanted his back up returned and to drop it at LAPD care of Deeks..."

"It's still more than just that...not remembering," Sam cajoled, "Deeks seems fine with this; you act like you've forgotten the cure to cancer or something?"

"Hetty knew...all this time, she knew..." Callen finally said; his tone held a bitter yet questioning edge.

For his part, Sam knew how his partner felt...while there was certainly no love lost between federal agencies and local LEO's, Sam still would never consider jeopardizing any agencies case or put anyone in danger.

"Who can begin to fathom any of Hetty's decisions," Sam replied, trying to make light of the matter.

"We could have blown his cover...he could have been killed because Hetty didn't think we needed to know," Callen shot back angrily, facing his partner, "and if Deeks wasn't the dedicated cop he is...they had you on the ropes, my man...if Deeks would have decided not to take Eric's call..."

Sam tried to tamp down on those tight, suffocating feelings of being trapped that all undercover's dread...when they are faced full on with the knowledge that their cover has been blown.

"But he did take the call, and he saved my ass," Sam finally acknowledged, also realizing for the first time (now that he was really thinking about it) that Deeks never mentioned the near miss or his part in saving the agent and the op.

"And after all that, what we do for him," Callen said darkly, "we wouldn't have given the Lazik case a second thought...if Traynor wouldn't have contacted Hetty."

"Hey, we had his back on that one..." Sam defended lightly.

"Did we...only after Deeks practically begged Hetty to help him keep the case open," Callen challenged, continuing as he waved a hand back and forth between himself and his partner, "and it wasn't us he came to...we didn't even know of his meet with Lazik..."

'Because he didn't trust us enough to tell us..." went unsaid between the two men.

Silence again reigned, until Sam asked, "So, what do you want to do about it?"

Quirking a surprised look at his partner, Callen asked, "what do you mean...'what do I want to do about it'?"

"This is eatin' you up man...and those looks you're shootin' Deeks way; he's gonna wonder what's wrong with you..." Sam replied, "...you gotta get past this G..."

Sighing heavily, and running a hand down his face, Callen answered, "I don't know...talk to him I guess..."

A snort from the driver's seat got Callen's attention and he shot Sam a dirty look, "What was that for..."

"You...G Callen—a man who barely strings two sentences together on a good day-having a heart to heart with someone, especially Deeks," Sam snickered.

Scowling, Callen shot back, "Hey, I can...'talk'..."

"The boy is already unsteady...trying to get his bearings on this team; what do you think a G Callen heart to heart will do to him; I'm pretty sure he has you pegged as the less than chatty type..." Sam continued to snicker, though his tone was serious.

"So, what do you suggest then," Callen asked, curious despite himself.

"Nothing..." Sam shrugged.

"Nothing...good advice there partner..." Callen grumbled.

"Look G, this seems to be your hang up not his...if it seems otherwise then yeah—you two might need to talk, can't have this tension hanging over the team when we're in the middle of an op," Sam explained, "but for now what he needs is for us to treat him like normal..."

A snort issued from the passenger seat as Callen piped up, "...ah, you mean like we can barely tolerate him..."

Sam shrugged at the comment, a little uncomfortable with the truth of the observation and feeling a little ashamed for it.

"We start treating him different all of a sudden it's gonna throw him...make him more unsteady and uncomfortable," Sam finally said, "we need to _**show**_ him he's part of this team...actions mean more than words for him and us..."

Considering his partners words, Callen finally shrugged and nodded his head in agreement.

As they pulled into their favorite sub shop, Callen turned towards Sam one last time, "there's more to it, you know...than just this sudden need for a liaison officer..."

Sam nodded in agreement, "Hetty's up to something...no doubt; and no doubt we'll find out when she's ready for us to find out..."

Callen nodded in agreement before climbing out of the car.

**...NCIS LA...**

Upon the agent's return to ops they were both amused and mildly chagrined at Deeks surprise that they remembered their promise to pick him up lunch.

"Uh, thanks guys," he said when he sat back and rubbed at his tired eyes.

"We got your back, can't let Hetty take you out now, we're just getting you broke in," Sam said with a chuckle as he sat down at his desk.

Deeks just shot the ex-SEAL a petulant look as he opened the sandwich.

Sam couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction that Deeks seemed to enjoy and appreciate the simple gesture of just bringing him lunch. As the detective tucked into his sub, Sam's eyes scanned the detectives nearly empty in box, "looks like Hetty will let you live."

Deeks just nodded, his eyes roaming the area outside the bullpen, "she's been lurking..."

Sam laughed at Deeks melodrama.

**...NCIS LA...**

Most of ops had cleared for the night, when Callen approached Hetty's desk.

"Something I can help you with Mr. Callen," Hetty asked.

Taking the seat opposite his boss, Callen fixed the diminutive woman with a pointed look, "you've known all this time...why didn't you say anything..."

"At the time Mr. Deeks crossed paths with the team for the second time we were a little occupied Mr. Callen; and I saw no real reason to bring it up if no one recalled a brief encounter from nearly two years prior-the what end and purpose would it have served," the woman asked.

"You're up to something," Callen accused lightly.

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Hetty merely replied innocently, "Am I Mr. Callen?"

"Was it some sort of test," Callen countered.

"Test," Hetty questioned.

"You wanted to see if he could hack it, working a federal op—right," Callen postulated, continuing, "...you were testing the team, right; wanted to see if we would trust him...didn't want what he did two years ago to cloud our judgment..."

Hetty sat back in her chair and steepled her hands, "Interesting theory Mr. Callen..."

Sighing heavily, Callen slumped back in his seat, eying the older woman with a hint of petulance, "you're not going to tell me...are you?"

Hetty smiled and leaned forward, "Good night Mr. Callen."

After another beat, Callen rose from the chair, "...Goodnight Hetty."

Hetty sat contemplatively in her seat as her SFA gathered his belongings and left ops for the night; waiting several more moments after the door closed to make sure she was alone she opened a side drawer to her desk and pulled out a file.

Across the outside of the file in deep blue letters read—

-NCIS PERSONNEL FILE-CONFIDENTIAL-

Opening the file she, she picked up her pen and began filing out the forms...

_Applicant's full name: Brandell, Martin Deeks_

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: yeah, not so much with the case story yet...more like a character study...and without even planning it that way I managed to end this one in a similar fashion to "Hetty's radar..."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

/././ Chapter 2 /././

a/n: so we are anywhere mid-season two to present...doesn't really matter, as Callen takes Sam's advice and does nothing and the team continues to razz their liaison ( so now it is slightly more in canon).

a/n: have no real idea how prisoner transfers are conducted except what we see on TV, which I'm sure are more creative license the fact !

**...NCIS LA...**

The team was sitting around the bull pen, killing time and haphazardly doing paperwork in their normal hit and miss style...hoping for five o'clock or a new case: it was mid-week and they were really hoping that the rest of the week would not consist of the mind numbing drudgery of after action reports.

Amidst their current round of banter, surprisingly enough aimed at Sam; Callen was the first to notice Hetty's approach to stand at the edge of the bullpen, her expression inscrutable as usual but her diminutive stance tight and guarded.

"Hetty," Callen questioned with light concern, drawing the attention of the other three agents.

"I received word this morning the Douglas Harkins is being moved from the California State Prison to the MDC," she said evenly.

Deeks sat up straighter in his chair, looking first to Hetty then locking eyes with Callen before settling back to Hetty, "Why would they do that...the CSP has a maximum security wing...why risk moving him?"

"Apparently Mr. Harkins has developed cancer during his incarceration and the nearest facility to offer treatment is only eight miles from the MDC, and the facility itself is designed for inmates with medical issues," Hetty explained.

"Bastard deserves to rot in hell for everything he did...not get cancer treatment on the taxpayer's dime," Callen ground out, asking, "so why inform us of the transfer; it was primarily a PD op?"

"The LAPD informed me because the Marshall's Service wishes for Mr. Deeks to 'accompany' the transfer..." Hetty explained.

The team sat up straighter, exchanging looks before Deeks asked hesitantly, "Accompany the transfer...why?"

"No one knows Harkins better than you, Mr. Deeks..." Hetty said.

"Why would that matter," Sam interjected suspiciously, "everything Deeks knows _**would**_ be in the case file."

"Unless they were expecting trouble," Callen put forward, fixing the operation's manager with a pointed look. "Are they expecting trouble?"

"Not _**all**_ of Harkin's people were identified and arrested..." Hetty countered, pleased to note that her agents were 'circling the wagons', so to speak, around the detective.

"They think any of his people or contacts still on the outside might use the transfer to bust him out," Sam asked.

Deeks sat back in his chair, a thoughtful look crossing his features, "Ya' know, it always struck me as odd that for being the psychotic, control freak that he was, Harkins never seemed too worried about being caught...well no more than any other criminal, anyway."

"Like he knew it wasn't going to be permanent..." Callen said.

"...which, in retrospect, should have been weird since he got 15 to life...and all the property LAPD could uncover was confiscated..." Deeks commented.

"The 'key' word in all of that being 'all' they could uncover," Hetty said, "Marshall's suspect that Mr. Harkins may yet have access to a substantial amount of money; despite the seizure of his properties. Which means his people could also have access."

"If he is as smart as the Intel suggests, then you can bet he had a contingency plan if he ever got caught," Sam commented, looking at Deeks for confirmation.

"I'm sure he did, but he never discussed that with me," Deeks said with a shrug, adding, "...just know he always wanted to have options...always seemed to pull a back-up plan out of his ass at the last minute. Even with me on the inside, I can't count the number of times LAPD was this close," the detective indicated a bare inch with this thumb and forefinger, "to nailing him and he changed directions on us...some of the guys started to suspect I was on the take, we had so many near misses trying to bring the guy down."

The three agents frowned. They didn't fail to hear the slight bitterness in the detective's tone at the small admission on his relationship with his fellow PD officers.

"So, they want Deeks because he could possibly identify any of Harkin's people that got away...makes sense," Callen said, but questioned, "but all the Marshall's should have gone through the vetting process, been checked and cleared already."

"And despite the best vetting process...if someone wants in Mr. Callen, they will find a way in," Hetty replied, adding, "nothing is fool proof."

"So, why not just sent the files of the transfer team for Deeks to go over...why_** ride**_ with the transport itself?" Callen pressed.

Hetty just nodded, "Of all the agencies that have ever investigated Harkins, Mr. Deeks has the most knowledge of how Harkins mind works, of what and where he might try to plan something: what any of his people might try..."

With a heavy sigh, Deeks asked, "When?"

"Day after tomorrow: US Marshalls want a briefing with Mr. Deeks tomorrow morning and there will be a team meeting to coordinate the transfer tomorrow afternoon," Hetty explained, "however, Lt. Bates would like a meeting with you this afternoon."

"Uh...okay...no time like the present I guess," Deeks said, gathering his belongings.

**...NCIS LA...**

The door to the mission had barely closed behind the detective when the team rounded on their diminutive operations manager.

"Hetty," Callen's one word conveyed both question and suspicion.

"And why just Deeks and not the rest of us," Sam questioned. "Something just doesn't seem right about all of this."

"We should be backing him up on this," Kensi commented, "especially if they think there is gonna be some kind of trouble."

"He has the LAPD and the US Marshall Service..." Hetty commented.

"And we know how well LAPD guards his back," Sam grumbled.

"We may have come in on the tail end of the op, but it was our case too," Callen pointed out.

"Indeed, Mr. Callen, that's why Eric will be monitoring the transfer motorcade from Ops," Hetty countered.

"Is that all," Kensi exclaimed, "can't we ride along?"

"The Marshall's don't feel they need the services of both the LAPD and NCIS," Hetty replied.

"We have a stake in this too," Callen pressed, "even if it's only one of us...NCIS should have a presence on the transfer motorcade."

"I'll see what I can do," Hetty said.

**...NCIS LA...**

**a/n: I think I know the direction I want to take this...again, I'm stealing a premise from one of my old TV obsessions, "The Sentinel"-any fans care to guess the episode?**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bad Guys Never Forgive & Never Forget**

Chapter 3

As it was, the best Hetty could accomplish was one agent being allowed on the prisoner transfer convey.

"As Agent Callen was a 'guest' of Mr. Harkins for that short while, they have agreed somewhat reluctantly that NCIS also has a stake in the safe transfer of the prisoner; and so have 'graciously' allowed Mr. Callen to accompany the convey."

"Graciously allow," Sam questioned with sarcasm, adding, "...they do know we're all on the same team right?"

"And you know how territorial agencies are with their cases..." Hetty intoned.

"Yeah, except it wasn't their case—it belongs to LAPD; it was Deeks case first," Kensi interjected.

To stave off any further (verbal) grumbling by her team, Hetty said, "In any case, it is now in the Marshall's purview...Mr. Callen, briefing is at 2 with the rest of the transfer team, I suggest you not be late."

As he gathered his belongings, Sam laid a hand on Callen's shoulder, "We'll have you on screen in ops..."

"Yeah, but I'd rather have you right there in the car," Callen replied, adding darkly, "I'm not getting a good feeling about this...something's going on..."

Sam just nodded, "watch yourself...and shaggy...we know he'll have your back out there."

Callen nodded to his partner before giving a wave and exiting the building.

**...NCIS LA...**

Callen had always been rather ambivalent towards other agencies, other agents. It's not that he particularly disliked any agent or agency that wasn't his own, they had their own jobs, own area of expertise; and in an ideal world they would (being on the same side and all) come together to achieve the common goal of bringing down the bad guys.

With a heavy sigh, Callen admitted to himself that this wasn't an ideal world and that in the real world you had clashing ego's and agency agenda's to contend with: so much for the common goal.

He didn't have a chance to speak with Deeks before the meeting started, but noted the detective seemed tense; and it quickly got off to a bad start when Lt. Phillip Masterson of the Marshall Service did little to engender team cohesiveness...instead swooping in and doling out assignments without discussion or even explanation.

"Is there some reason you have Detective Deeks riding in the transport with Harkins," Callen was quick to demand when he noted how edgy Deeks was with the assignment he was given, "Deeks was the one that brought him down..."

"And you are," Masterson shot back snidely.

"Agent Callen, NCIS..." Callen replied without missing a beat, pressing his earlier point, "you think it wise to put detective Deeks in with Harkins?"

"The man will be cuffed and chained in the van...you think he's in any position to harm the detective," Masterson shot back impatiently, "and what's it to you anyway?"

Sidestepping the question of how he and Deeks knew one and other, Callen continued, "I thought the detective was on this run as a precaution-to keep his eyes peeled for any tells that Harkin's or his people were planning anything: kind of hard to do in the back of the van."

"The detective is where he_ needs_ to be on this operation...and you're here strictly as a courtesy extended from my boss to yours, Agent Callen...your input is neither needed nor required," Masterson shot back snidely, "we know how to run a prison transport."

Feeling the resentment rolling off the Marshall, Callen held up his hands defensively and replied evenly, "I'm sure you do."

**...NCIS LA...**

Looking down at the parking lot, Masterson frowned as he saw the NCIS agent meet up with the LAPD detective in the lot below; confirming his suspicions.

A rap on his door, got his attention and he momentarily looked over to the door, "What?"

Taking that as permission to enter his boss's office, the Marshall John Craig crossed the room, holding out a file, "it wasn't easy, I couldn't find anything on agent Callen outright—when the guy shows up at all its tagged as classified: so I dug a little deeper into the cops files, made a few phone calls...you were right: that NCIS agent, Callen, he is the one who's cover was blown on the op that brought Harkins down-and it was the detective that pulled him out..."

Scanning the file his subordinate had handed him, the Lt commented, "I knew there had to be a reason an agent would take an interest in a cop...there are gaps in the cop's file for the last two years..."

"The source I talked to at LAPD says that the detective actually works with that agents team from time to time as, get this, a liaison officer, or somthhing," the man offered, "if they know each other that well—we might have a problem."

"_**No, we won't**_...it's our case—not LAPD and certainly not NCIS," Masterson replied, throwing the file on his desk before turning to stare back down into the parking lot. "We're not losing this chance because of some navy cop..."

Masterson was slightly unnerved as the agent watched the detective climb into his car and drive off before turning cold eyes to the building: and though it couldn't be possible at this distance, Masterson could almost feel those cold eyes boring into him.

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: I know—short—but important to the set up...


	4. Chapter 4

**The Bad Guys Never Forgive & Never Forget**

Chapter 4

"So, Lt. Marshall Phillip Masterson's file, it's all pretty standard stuff in his service file..."Eric began as soon as Callen stepped into Ops that afternoon.

"Problems, Mr. Callen," Hetty inquired.

"Masterson...don't trust him," Callen said succinctly.

With a small snort, Sam said, "You don't trust anyone G; what make this guy stand out?"

"He has Deeks riding '_**in'**_ the transport with Harkins," the agent replied, eying his fellow agents to see if they would feel the same way as he did about that idea.

"Isn't Deeks supposed to be running point...for any sign that Harkins people are planning on busting him out," Sam commented, mirroring his partners earlier sentiment, "...kind of hard to do in the back of a closed van; unless they want Deeks making an ID with a gun to his face."

With his suspicions confirmed, he nodded, "hence, the not trusting him part," he said, before fixing his operation's manager with a pointed look.

For her part Hetty held up her hands in defense, "Yes, Mr. Callen, I agree it sounds odd...and I will look into it."

"Harkins wouldn't pass up a chance to take out the cop that brought him down," Sam commented knowingly, fixing his partner with a pointed look, he added, "or the agent."

"But I won't be the one in the van with him," Callen countered.

"What's Deeks think about all this," Sam asked.

"He doesn't like it...doesn't understand it either," Callen said. "Puts him right in the line of fire if Harkins' people _**were**_ to manage to attack the convoy, Deeks would be a sitting duck in that van with Harkins."

Frowning, Sam asked, "So what are we gonna do about it?"

"Exactly what we are doing," Hetty suddenly interjected, "we will be watching from ops while Mr. Callen rides with the convoy..."

"Can't we pace the convoy, it's a public roadway," Kensi interjected.

"The Marshall's are setting up checkpoints along the back stretch of road that an attack would most likely take place; they'd spot our tail," Hetty explained.

Face creased in thought, Sam said, "Eric, pull me up the route the Marshall's mapped out."

"What are you thinking, Sam," Callen asked his partner, moving up to join him at the big screen.

"We may not be able to pace them through the whole route, but we could pace them to here," Sam said indicating an area of the map before moving to another section and continuing, "then someone else can pick up four miles later on this side..."

"At least we'd be a lot closer if anything happened than being here in ops," Kensi said.

Hetty eyed the map and considered her agents plan; she too was having serious reservations about the whole operation and didn't like the idea of her liaison officer without the back up of his team.

Finally she nodded, "very well...make it happen..."

**...NCIS LA...**

The morning of the transport dawned overcast and drizzly...the gray skies matching the detective's mood as he pulled into the parking lot of the Marshall's LA field office.

He sat in his car watching the activity in the parking lot as the prison transport van and the three SUV's that would be accompanying the convoy were given last minute checks. So lost in his thoughts he jumped when there was a sharp rap at his window.

"Damn it Callen, trying to give me a heart attack," Deeks grumbled as he opened the car door, but made no attempt past turning in the seat, to leave the vehicle.

Choosing to ignore the diversionary tactic, Callen asked, "You okay...you were a million miles away just now?"

"Just thinking," Deeks said absently, running his hands over his lap and giving a sigh.

It was on the tip of Callen's tongue to razz the detective with some quip about not straining himself with the effort, but the tight look the detective had stopped him, "you alright?"

Finally climbing out of the car, Deeks responded, "all this...there's something off...it's one thing to take precautions; anyone would with a prison transport...but, I don't know, something feels off...almost forced, about this whole thing...it's almost like they **want **Harkin's to try something..."

Callen raised a surprised brow at the detective's assessment and feeling even more suspicious as the team was experiencing similar reservations about this operation.

Sighing deeply and shrugging his shoulders, Deeks continued, "I don't know, maybe I'm just edgy seeing Harkins again...knowing what he's thinking-all kinds of ways to torture me for settin' him up."

"Well, you're definitely not on his Christmas card list," Callen responded, and trying to show the detective they had his back on this and his gut wasn't wrong he added pointedly, "and we're with you on this...there is definitely something off about this transport."

A dark, haunted look in Deeks absent gaze set off Callen's radar, causing him to ask pointedly, "you saw it didn't you; were there when Harkin's had some of those men tortured..."

"Not for the party, but I _definitely_ saw the aftermath," Deeks said with a hoarse whisper, unable to stop the small shudder that swept over him, "if I would have been there while it was happening...I don't know," Deeks expression was tortured and uncertain as he caught Callen's gaze before continuing, "I mean, I've been there, seen guys put the beat down on each other while I was undercover; but this...this was different. I don't know if I coulda' maintained it man...even if it was another crook he was torturing...I don't think I coulda' kept cover; not found some way to have helped the poor bastards..."

Knowing that the violence criminals often subjected their peer too was always something an undercover had to face, that there was always that dilemma and choice about whether or how to intervene; and for that, Callen had no real words of comfort or advice. What would he have done in Deeks place, if he were the one watching someone get tortured, he couldn't even begin to fathom an answer.

Putting a hand on the detective's shoulder and giving it a squeeze, he said, "we do what we can...and when we can sit back and see anyone hurt, even some of the scum we arrest; then in makes us as bad as they are..."

Masterson saw the detective and agent standing at the edge of the convoy and scowled angrily. The Lt. had too much riding on the success of this op to have NCIS interfering with his plans. He moved quickly towards the two men, and without preamble, barked out, "About time you got here...convoy is due to pull out in twenty...detective, you're in the van."

Masterson thrust out two comm towards the men as he continued, "Here's your comms. We have one car on point and two tailing the van...you, agent Callen, are in car two."

Before either man could comment or protest, Masterson turned back to the convoy preparations and began barking out needless orders to his men.

Deeks spent a moment turning the comm over in his hands before putting it in his ear while Callen just stuffed his in his pocked as he raised a hand to his ear and commented, "...you get that...Masterson is putting as much distance between me and the van as possible..."

"You know what to do, Mr. Callen," Hetty replied.

Callen nodded and reached into his other pocket, pulling out an earwig and handing it to Deeks, "Whatever is going on, we got your back."

Deeks grinned and took the small device, quickly positioning it in his other ear, "Wow, feds in stereo. Hey! Hi ya Eric..."

"Mr. Deeks, it would be most prudent that the Marshall's and especially Lt. Masterson not know of our little communication..." Hetty advised.

"Will do, Hetty," Deeks acknowledged, "just feel a hundred percent better knowing you guys have eyes on this..."

"Remember what I said, when I first offered you the liaison position...you belong to us now..." Hetty replied with a gentle smile.

Giving Callen a smirk, Deeks commented cheekily, "take me, I'm all yours Hetty."

Callen just shook his head, an amused smirk playing across his features, "better be careful what you wish for their Deeks..."

Surprise on his face, Deeks replied innocently, "What...me, Hetty loves me; right Hetty...you wouldn't..."

Her stern tone belied by the smile in her voice, Hetty interrupted, "Mr. Deeks, I believe you have an appointment with the back of a transport van...and it would be best if you maintained radio silence as it were..."

"Aye, aye Captain Hetty..." Deeks said, giving an exaggerated salute, before catching Callen's eye and adding earnestly, "but seriously, thanks for this, guys..."

"Yeah, yeah...just get in the van shaggy..." Sam interjected over the comms.

"Kensi and Sam are going to be pacing the convoy on either side of the route...if anything happens..." Callen informed the detective, leaving the sentiment unsaid but clearly understood.

Shaking hands, Deeks said, "Thanks man. See you at the end."

The two men parted company and climbed into their respective vehicles as the transport prepared to pull out.

**...NCIS LA...**

Masterson called out to his second in command, "Craig, what's the hold-up...get it in gear, we're leaving."

The dark headed Marshall held up a staying finger, ending his call moments later and approaching his boss.

"What's up..." Masterson demanded of his SIC.

Shrugging, Craig answered, "Nothing, just double checking with our teams along the route, all clear..."

Masterson eyed the man curiously for a moment before giving a curt nod and climbing into the passenger side of the van, while Craig went to the driver's side.

Giving his boss a self-assured smile, Craig asked, "...you ready for this?"

Nodding, Masterson said, "Let's go."

In ops, Hetty and the tech's watched the convoy pull out; Eric saying into the comms, "they're heading out...they should have the prisoner and back on the road to the MDC in two hours..."

From the comms, Kensi and Sam responded, "Copy that."

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: thought I'd be into the meat of the story by now, but these darn "team-bonding" scenes just keep presenting themselves and who am I to refuse some "family time" with the team ! Anyway, it will probably be finished up in 2-3 chapters...


	5. Chapter 5

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

Chapter 5

a/n: keep in mind this is a work of fiction...prisoner transport protocol, government personnel file safety protocols and anything else that sounds 'official' are entirely a product of my 'gamers' imagination...

**...NCIS LA...**

The convoy had been at the prison for nearly half an hour. Deeks and Callen stood by the transport van waiting for Masterson and Craig to return with the prisoner.

"Half over," Callen said.

""Yeah, it's all uphill from here," Deeks joke fell flat.

"Three hours tops and we done with all of this..." Callen reminded the detective.

Looking at Callen, Deeks said with mild sarcasm, "...yeah, just three hours locked in an eight by twelve box with a man who wants nothing more than to see me dead..."

"That's why they pay us the big bucks," Callen said with a smirk.

"If it is any consolation, Eric has the entire route on thermal satellite and nothing but the Marshall's teams are coming up," Hetty interjected into the conversation.

"That's providing all those teams are Marshalls..." Deeks said with a sigh.

"Didn't they show you files of all the Marshalls and PD officers to vet their legitimacy on this transport team," Callen demanded.

"Yeah, I went over the files, but it's been over two years, people can change, be bought off..." Deeks said with mild frustration. "I wasn't exactly given enough time to run back ground checks to determine the validity of anything in the files."

"Eric can we get the files of all the Marshall's on this run," Callen asked tightly.

"Their personnel files would be encrypted just like any government files to protect the agent's identities from exposure...I could probably get them but it might take a while to break the encryption..." Eric explained.

"Do what you can and get it to Deeks phone as soon as you get anything," Callen said.

"Even if all the teams are legit...Harkins is known to have a flair for the dramatic...he was always doing over the top things..." Deeks said, "...once he wanted fresh lobster for dinner and sent one of his boys clear across the country for fresh Maine lobster...when the guy couldn't get back because flights were grounded in the east due to severe weather he nearly tore the kitchen apart in a rage..."

Giving a heavy sigh, Deeks turned to face the older agent, "the guy is well and truly nuts, man_**...brilliant,**_ but absolutely crazy...and I am not ashamed to say it; this dude gives me the creeps..."

"How in the hell did this guy stay in business...keep any employees or contacts...?" Callen asked.

The NCIS team never followed up much on the case, outside of a few debriefs and after action reports, as the case had only been there's for less than a week, compared to the LAPD's months that they had setting up their sting: then the Marshall's service had stepped in, and with new cases demanding their attention, they gave the case off easily to the agency that had the most man hours invested.

"**Because** he was _brilliant, _one of the best con men I have ever seen...could plan and coordinate any kind of heist or broker any kind of deal, even between the deadliest of enemies—hell, he could have gotten the Comescue's and the Callen's to the table to broker a deal..." Deeks explained, his eyes taking on that far off look of one sifting through memories.

Callen noted a bit of awe in the detectives voice, as well as some fear, and his estimation of the dangerousness of their prisoner ratcheted up a level. In the months the team had worked with the detective, Deeks was constantly trying to find his nitch in a team of highly trained agents, find something to hold up to their level of expertise and experiences, never one to play the underdog. So, for the detective to share his feelings, and most especially his fears, this easily, made the agent take immediate notice. If the detective was truly concerned enough to admit to Callen that he was 'afraid' of this man, then the team needed to step up their vigilance.

Unaware of the concerned looks being directed at him by the agent, Deeks continued with his narrative, "...he just had this knack to know the right thing to say; somehow always knew what both sides wanted and how to get it for them. It took us over a year to even begin to get enough on him to consider opening an investigation; the man was always three steps ahead of us...it was just luck that one of my old aliases pinged on his radar. Harkins actually _contacted_ **me** for a job."

Callen raised an eyebrow at that piece of news. It went a long way in explaining how Harkins and the arms deals made it to the LAPD's attention long before NCIS or any other agency.

"If you managed to stay on his good side...he paid damn good...and he extended a fierce kind of loyalty to all his 'employees'...and he expected in to be returned in kind 110%," Deeks finished with a heavy sigh, seeming to come back to himself and shooting a look towards Callen to gauge his reaction.

"Explains why anyone would risk staying with him," Callen commented, his tone and expression neutral.

Deeks nodded, "Yeah, the money kept most around...that and the fear of pissing him off," turning to fix a gaze on the agent, "we both know what he does to people who piss him off."

Their conversation was halted by the buzz of the interior gates, and the two men turned to watch as Harkins was escorted from the prison by Masterson and Craig.

The three years in prison and the cancer ravaging the man's body had not been kind to Harkin's. Where the two men once remembered a tall, proud man, Harkins was now stooped with illness; his once thick black hair was nearly entirely gray and already showing signs of thinning and his dark, exotic features were pinched and sallow.

"Not so scary now..." Callen commented.

"It's not his physical prowess that was ever scary, though he was an imposing figure," Deeks shot back, pushing himself from the van, "it's his mental one..."

Nodding in agreement, Callen also stood straighter, crossing his arms and settling a hard gaze on the approaching trio.

Stopping at the back of the van while Craig undid the lock; Harkins, despite the illness that was ravaging his body, eyed his surroundings with clear, cunning eyes...before resting on the two men standing at the van.

The predatory smile that crossed Harkin's features at seeing Deeks raised Callen's hackles and sent off warning bells in his head; and even without turning to see the detectives reaction, Callen could almost feel the shudder go through his new team mate.

"Sully...oh, no, my mistake; _Detective Deeks_," Harkins said smoothly, like he was greeting an old friend, "imagine my surprise at seeing you here...", though his tone held none of the surprise he spoke.

Instinctively seeking to protect a member of his team, Callen stepped in between Harkins and Deeks, asking smugly, "What about me Harkins...you remember me...?"

Harkins cocked his head, and Callen thought he indeed saw a brief flash of surprise in Harkin's eyes as he eyed the agent with dark, calculating eyes; and for a brief moment Callen understood Deeks uneasiness at being this close to Harkins. Despite the security the prison walls and dozens of guards and Marshall's provided, Callen felt exposed and vulnerable in Harkin's piercing gaze.

"NCIS Agent Callen...late to the party, but none the less a player in contributing to my current accommodations," Harkin's said easily, his tone light yet somehow darkly promising in retribution.

Smirking, Callen nodded, "Always happy to help."

To that Harkin's had no reply, but rather just nodded.

"That's enough Harkins," Masterson interjected harshly, "time to go..."

Harkin's looked to the Marshall and nodded, "by all means, it is well past time to leave this confinement."

As Harkin's climbed into the van, Callen turned to Deeks and put a hand on the detective's shoulder before moving to ruffle his shaggy hair and unobtrusively tap on the ear with the earwig, "We got your back on this...don't forget that..."

Smiling tightly, Deeks nodded, "Yeah, thanks..."

Nodding back, Callen stepped aside and offered needless assistance to Deeks as the detective climbed into the back of the van. As Callen stepped back to watch Deeks settle on the bench seat across from the now secured Harkins, he was loathe too note Harkins eying Deeks with great interest.

Feeling the agent's hard stare, Harkins simply turned his gaze to Callen and nodded, a sneering smile on his face he commented, "So glad you could join our little reunion agent Callen."

Deeks head shot up, first to Harkins then locking with Callen's as the agent responded dryly, "Wouldn't be anywhere else, Harkins..."

With that, a heavy knot of dread settled in Callen's gut as the heavy slam of the van doors and click of the locks essentially just trapped his team mate within feet of a dangerous sociopath for the next three hours.

**...NCIS LA...**

Twenty five minutes into the trip and little beyond updates between the vehicles and the transport van had broken the silence in the van.

He couldn't help smiling to himself, as every five or ten minutes one of his team would offer him a few words of encouragement or an update.

"Thermal imaging still only show the Marshall's teams set up along the route," Eric reported twenty minutes into the transport.

"My end is clear, no one is following the convoy on my end," Sam added.

"The tail end seems clear too, nothing but normal traffic," Kensi said.

Deeks desperately wanted to say something to his team, but knew well enough that the Marshall's riding in the van didn't need to know he was in contact with NCIS ops.

For his part, Harkins had sat quietly, his head resting back against the side of the van, eyes closed and a small smile playing across his face: never once acknowledging the Marshall's or the detective.

Deeks couldn't decide whether to be more unnerved by Harkins continued silence or the expectation of the threats he had expected from the man.

Finally not being able to stand the silence, Deeks asked warily, "...why are you smiling?"

Raising his head to look at the detective, Harkins replied casually, "enjoying my new found freedom..."

"Don't get used to it," Masterson spat out from the front of the van. "You'll be back safely in your new 'accommodations' by the end of the day, Harkins."

Looking to the front of the van, Harkins just smiled, "Why of course Lt. Masterson..."

Deeks hair stood on end when Harkins turned back to him, that cruel smile still set on his face—and he gave the detective an exaggerated wink, as he whispered conspiraticely, "definitely better accommodations..."

All thoughts of subtlety flying out the window, Deeks scrambled to the front of the van, demanding, "...what's the status of the convoy...have they all checked in...when was the last time you heard from the stationary checkpoints...Eric what do you see on thermals..."

Masterson turned towards the suddenly frantic detective, "what the hell detective...who's Eric; we're in contact with the rest of the convoy every ten minutes, the stationary units every fifteen..."

"Call them, call them all **now..." **Deeks demanded of Masterson before demanding through his earwig, "Callen, Callen, be ready...something's up..."

Deeks looked towards Harkins, who had just closed his eyes and leaned back against the van wall; that cruel, knowing smile still adorning his face.

"Callen...Agent Callen," Masterson said in confusion, unable to follow the frantic detective's sudden changes in who he seemed to be addressing over the comms...

Turns out he really didn't have time to contemplate why the detective seemed to be in contact with other's outside of the Marshall's convey; a startled yell from his driver had them all peering out the front window of the van...

"What he hell," Masterson huffed out.

In the next instant his world exploded in a world of fire, blazing heat and crunching metal...

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: I will freely admit...am not nearly as "smart" as a con man...but to give you an idea of what I'm going for...I am picturing Harkins 'brilliance' to be a combo of Nate from Leverage and Clooney's character from Ocean's 11; with a huge dose of the worst sociopath your minds can come up with ! So, I have to ask, with my subtle hints; am I making this dude creepy enough...sometimes leaving it to the reader's imagination gives for a far creepier scene/villain than what the writer could ever create


	6. Chapter 6

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

Chapter 6

a/n: this is a pivotal chapter and could have gone sooo many ways, I really struggled with how to present it...its written a little unusual, so I hope it's not hard to follow...it's one of those flash forward, then previous action type scenes ...PLUS, I'm doing the same scene from multiple character POV's...and that tends to play out so much better on the screen than in written form...but we'll see how it goes...

**...NCIS LA...**

"_**Just remember, every cut, every scream, every way I can make him suffer...it's for you: to remind you what happens to those who defy me, betray my trust,"**__ Harkins whispered menacingly into the detective's ear, before straightening on his haunches and running a gentle hand through Deeks hair as he continued, "I really liked you...you had such potential, such promise; I never had a brother, but you, you I saw as someone I could trust, confide in...shame really..."_

"_Then take me...I'm the one who betrayed you; not him," Deeks gasped out from his prone position on the pavement, the blood pouring from his shoulder wound mixing with the gently falling rain._

_Harkins looked down at the injured and bleeding man, his hand tightening in Deeks hair and pulling the man up to within inches of his face, "And pass up the fortuitous gift laid out before me...you see that's the difference between me and others...I can change, make due—even improve as the situation presents new opportunities: and this...this is just too good to pass up, detective."_

"_Why..." was all Deeks managed to get out._

"_**The key to making someone suffer is to know what causes them the most pain," Harkins answered.**_

_Harkins then straightened from his stooped position and cast his eyes to several of his people holding a violently struggling Callen, saying, "Put him in the chopper, we're leaving now..."_

"_No," Deeks protested loudly, attempting to push himself up from the pavement only for Harkins to turn and in one fluid motion kick the already injured man in the temple: dropping the detective like a rock back to the pavement._

"_Deeks...Deeks," Callen shouted in fear at seeing his injured and prone team mate unconscious and bleeding out, fighting the hands that held him all the more fiercely, "you son of a bitch..." he spat as Harkins approached him._

**...NCIS LA...**

_**OPS...**_

Twenty-five minutes into the convoy, and routine chatter was heard over the comms as the teams checked in with updates up and down the convey.

"Everything is on schedule and on target," Nell informed the operation's manager, "all the teams in the vehicles and along the route have checked in, and Callen reports an all clear."

"And agent Blye and agent Hanna," Hetty questioned.

"Both report an all clear on either end of the route," Eric replied.

Hetty nodded as her eyes tracked the thermal imaging of the convoy on the ops screen.

"The convoy should reach its destination in approximately seventy-five minutes," Nell reported.

"What the hell," Eric practically shouted, as he straightened in his seat and began typing frantically on his keyboard.

Hetty and Nell exchanged startled looks with one and other before turning their attention to the tech, his uncharacteristic display of anger and cursing setting off warning bells for both women.

"Mr. Beale..." Hetty questioned.

Before Eric could answer, Deeks frantic voice suddenly broke in over the comms, _"...what's the status of the convoy...have they all checked in...when was the last time you heard from the stationary checkpoints...Eric what do you see on thermals..."_

_Masterson turned towards the suddenly frantic detective, "what the hell detective...who's Eric; we're in contact with the rest of the convoy every ten minutes, the stationary units every fifteen..."_

"_Call them, call them all __**now..."**__Deeks demanded of Masterson before demanding through his earwig, "Callen, Callen, be ready...something's up..."_

"We've got a problem," Eric said curtly, hand to his ear to activate the comms to the team he said tersely, "guys...you got a bogey coming in hot from the east..."

"East...Eric, that would mean, it's coming from the forest...east is all forested..." Callen cut in, as he eyed the heavily wooded area outside his window, and demanded of the detective, "Deeks, what is it, what's going on...?"

"No, **not** from the ground..._**from the air..."**_ Eric interrupted, "it's a helicopter...coming in hard and fast..."

"_What the hell," Masterson's voice huffed out over the comms._

That's all the warning Callen got before the world around him exploded in...

**...NCIS LA...**

In Ops, Hetty and the two tech's watched in horror as the thermal display flared, jumped and began to static and fade in and out.

"Bloody hell..." Hetty intoned tightly.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

Chapter 7

The black SUV screeched to a halt on the perimeter, the driver stepping quickly out of the vehicle, a hand tightly grasping the door frame in horror at the carnage laid out before him, the likes he had not witnessed since his time in Afghanistan.

One of the SUV's from the convey was now a burning shell, the flames and haze making it hard to distinguish what exactly lay beyond. Metal debris and scorch marks littered the area. To the left he saw another SUV riddled with bullet holes and sitting nose first in a drainage ditch at the side of the road; thirty feet past that, the transport van was laying on its side in the middle of the road, the doors hanging open.

Sam pulled his weapon and began cautiously approaching the scene, looking for survivors—desperately wanting to call out to his missing team members. The flaming SUV was clearly hit while in motion and Sam could just barely discern, through the flames and haze, the outline of the bodies in the driver and passenger seat. He next approached the bullet riddled SUV in the ditch, finding a few blood spatters and three doors hanging open. Turning to scan the area around the van he saw four bodies laid out on the road...the blonde hair giving away the object of his search.

"Deeks!" Sam yelled as he raced to the detective's side, stopping only long enough to check two of the men that lay between him and his teammate...both men, and both wearing Marshall's apparel, were dead; both with a single shot center mass.

Stooping down next to Deeks, the first thing he noticed was the blood still freely flowing from the bullet hole in the detective's shoulder, pressing his palm to the wound elicited a pained moan from the semi-conscious man, but didn't rouse him further, "Hang on man...just hang on, helps on the way..."

Over the comm, Eric said, "Sam, the nearest Marshall is six minutes out and fire and rescue are still fifteen minutes out..."

"He's losing a lot of blood, he may not have fifteen minutes," Sam ground out, as his eyes scanned the detective for other injuries, falling on the deep purple and black bruise across Deeks cheek, "...he's got a pretty nasty head wound too...might even have a broken cheek bone."

Watching the thermal imaging that was still popping in and out of focus despite Eric's best efforts, Hetty asked, "And the rest of the convoy, Mr. Hanna?"

"Looks like a war zone Hetty," Sam replied, as he again surveyed the area, "my guess is that the chopper was equipped with RPG's at least...one SUV was hit...the bullet holes look like heavy artillery fire...the transport van was flipped-except for Deeks I haven't found any survivor's...but the scene is not secure."

"Understood, Ms. Blye is also on her way Mr. Hanna," Hetty informed the agent, asking, "...and Harkin's?"

Peering into the van, Sam gave a worried sigh, "He's gone...and Hetty; I haven't found Callen..."

The tech's and operations manager exchanged worried looks at the startling piece of news.

A sudden noise past the flipped van got Sam's immediate attention and he pulled his gun up, demanding, "NCIS show yourself...now..."

A few seconds later, a man came stumbling around the van, falling to his knees several yards away, a large gash on his forehead covering one whole side of his face in blood; he held a gun held loosely in his hands, "Marshall John Craig..."

Sam lowered his weapon and went to the downed man, helping him back to his feet and maneuvering the man to sit down closer to where he was tending the downed detective.

"What the hell happened out here," Sam demanded.

Still in a daze, Craig waved in a general skyward motion,"...out of nowhere...it came out of nowhere; a chopper, must have been waiting...barely cleared the tree line before it opened fire on the convoy..."

"Must have been a hell of a fire fight..." Sam commented as he again looked around at the hundreds of empty shell casings littering the roadway.

Craig nodded, as he slowly walked himself up the side of the van to survey the devastation that was once his team, "God, we thought we prepared for all contingencies...we expected something; Harkin's was to cunning to let an opportunity like this to go without an escape attempt: but this...missiles from a damn helicopter...how in the hell do you prepare for that!"

"Don't worry, we'll find him," Sam said firmly.

"How the hell are we supposed to do that," Craig snapped, "they were in a helicopter...by the time we can process the scene and scramble any air support of our own they could be to Mexico or Canada...hell, Harkins could have a boat sitting in international waters for all we know..."

"Thought most of his assets were seized," Sam asked.

"All that the forensic accountants could trace," Craig sighed heavily, "but this guy is good at what he does...hiding accounts would be nothing for him."

"Well, we'll find him. We've been tracking the convoy by thermal imaging with a satellite from our ops center..." Sam explained.

Shooting the agent a surprised look, Craig exclaimed, "You what...NCIS had no jurisdiction..."

"Hey...two of our people were in this convoy; and it may not have been our case long—but it was still our case," Sam ground out with equal anger, adding, "and it's a damn good thing we DID think of everything...our tech operator may not be able to follow the chopper's path to its final destination but we can get a good idea where it was heading...cross check it with any known property Harkins might have..."

Craig sighed heavily, and nodded, "sorry, you're right...I'm just not thinking straight..."

Sam nodded his head towards the direction Craig had come minutes before, asking, "what about up front...any survivors...?"

Craig sighed again and shook his head...his eyes scanning the area, "no, the bastards gunned down everyone...guess they must have thought I was dead, they didn't take the time to check..."

"Lucky for you..." Sam commented, "what about the other NCIS agent that was with the convoy...do you know what happened to him..."

Craig just shook his head slowly, "no...I cracked my head pretty hard in the crash, missed all but the tail end of the fire fight; by the time I came to enough to do anything the chopper was disappearing over the tree line...I tried to help my driver, but it was too late..."

**...ncis la...**

The CSI techs and a second team of Marshalls made it to the scene followed shortly after by fire and rescue; and soon the area was one of organized chaos.

Kensi had also arrived and she and Sam had stayed with the still unconscious Deeks while he was assessed and loaded into the ambulance while the area was being processed.

"What about Callen," Kensi asked worriedly when Sam informed her that the senior agent was nowhere on scene.

"If he's not here, then we can only assume that Harkins has him," Sam said in a voice tight with worry.

"Why, that doesn't make sense...Callen and NCIS had very little to do with the investigation..." Kensi said.

"Not with the investigation, but we did coordinate the take down three years ago..."

"But still...it's...its Deeks that Harkins really hates, really blames; why take Callen and leave Deeks...; and leave him alive..." Kensi mused aloud.

Shaking his head, Sam said, "I don't know, but there are a lot of things about this that aren't making sense. Taking Callen, leaving Deeks alive...and Craig being alive...every single Marshall is dead...killed by Harkin's men, yet he gets out of all of this with a head injury from the crash? Something's not adding up..."

"So, maybe we need Eric to look a little closer at Marshall Craig," Kensi stated.

"We're ready to transport," the EMT said, breaking into the agents' conversation.

"Go with Deeks...I'm gonna stay here, see what they find then head to ops to get a direction on the chopper..." Sam said, helping Kensi into the back of the ambulance, "Hopefully Eric got a good enough fix and Hetty can work her magic and we can have our own chopper in the air within the next few hours."

"Let me know...I'm coming with..." Kensi stated firmly.

Sam nodded towards the unconscious detective, "Deeks?"

"What do you think he's gonna say if he wakes up and finds me sitting around staring at him when Harkins has Callen, knowing how dangerous this man is...?" Kensi replied.

"Good point...soon as we have anything I'll let you know..." Sam said.

Sam slammed the ambulance door shut and gave it a few quick raps; watching as it slowly made its way away from the scene.

The SEAL then looked towards the sky and back to the busy scene, intoning hoarsely, "don't worry G, we're coming..."

**...NCIS LA...**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

Chapter 8

"_**The key to making someone suffer is to know what causes them the most pain," Harkins said.**_

"_**Just remember, every cut, every scream, every way I can make him suffer...it's for you: to remind you what happens to those who defy me, betray my trust," Harkins whispered menacingly**__._

_**...NCIS LA...**_

"Nooo...," Deeks jolted awake with a strangled yell, flailing around on the bed as though trying to ward off an unseen attacker.

The hands he felt on his shoulders making him fight all the more, "No...no, it's me...not him..."

"Deeks! Deeks, come on wake up...come on, it was only a dream," an urgent voice kept calling to him, "Deeks, you with me...open your eyes..."

The tight, worried voice of his partner finally broke through the terrifying images that assailed him and Deeks let out a shuddering breath as he slowly opened his eyes, "Kensi?"

"Yeah, partner...it's me," she said gently, a small smile on her face, "...you back with me now?"

Looking around the room dazedly, he realized he was in a hospital room, "Uh, yeah...uh, what, what happened?"

Kensi looked down at her partner in concern, "you were hurt...when the...,"Kensi sighed heavily, "... Deeks, the convoy...it was ambushed..."

"The convoy..." Deeks asked slowly, confusion on his face before it was replaced with horror as the memories came crashing back.

He suddenly threw the blankets back, attempting to rise from the bed, exclaiming wildly, "the convoy...god, the convoy...it was attacked; Harkins...Kensi, we have to go—_**we have to go now**__..."_

Kensi moved to block her agitated partner from getting out of the bed, while Deeks attempted to push past her; suddenly crying out in pain and falling heavily back against the bed before sliding to the floor as a searing pain shot down his arm, nearly taking his breath away.

And that's how Sam found them moments later when he stepped into the room, "What the hell...?"

A few quick strides and Sam was stooping down to help Kensi hoist the gasping man back into his bed and despite her worry, she couldn't help chastising him, "Serves you right...what the hell did you think you were doing?"

As the pain subsided and his breathing came under control, Deeks looked from Kensi to Sam: both agents could see unmasked fear on the detectives face as he said hoarsely, "We gotta go...ya' gotta get me outa' here, Sam. Harkins...Sam, Harkin's...he has Callen..."

Looking away in shame, Deeks continued in a voice tight and cracking with emotion and pain, "... it's my fault...Sam. I'm sorry...it's my fault. Harkins is gonna hurt Callen..._torture him_ because of me; we've got to go...we have to find him..."

Sam grabbed Deeks good arm, as the detective's growing agitation was causing his breather to come in short pants, putting him in danger of hyperventilating, "Hey, Deeks man, calm down...look at me...we'll get him back. We've processed the scene and replayed the footage from the thermal satellite imaging...Eric was able to follow the chopper for about six miles before it was out of the satellites feed..."

"Processed the scene..." Deeks gasped out slowly, his agitation not diminishing as he demanded, "how long have I been out? Why are you still here...we have to go—now!"

"_**You**_, are not going anywhere...you just had surgery to clean and debride your shoulder wound and you have a hairline fracture to your cheekbone and are a hair's-breathe from being diagnosed with a concussion," Sam warned.

Again attempting to rise and easily being held in place by the larger agent, Deeks said with agitation, "you don't understand...I have to go...Callen's dead for sure if I don't go...it's the whole point, to see me suffer...he sees a team roll in he'll kill Callen before you can breach. He wants to see me...wants me to see what he can do to people I care about...if I go there's a chance of stalling him long enough to try rescue Callen..."

"What are you talking about...?" Kensi asked worriedly, "how do you know that's what Harkins is planning?"

Falling back in his pillows and looking away from the agents, Deeks choked out sadly, "because...because, I've...I've seen it before..."

Deeks mind went back over the conversation that he had had with Callen at the prison...and the memories that went with it...

...

"_all this...there's something off...it's one thing to take precautions; anyone would with a prison transport...but, I don't know, something feels off...almost forced, about the whole thing..."_

_Sighing deeply and shrugging his shoulders, Deeks continued, "I don't know, maybe I'm just edgy seeing Harkins again...knowing he's thinking of all kinds of ways to torture me for setting him up."_

"_You're definitely not on his Christmas card list," Callen responded, adding, "and we got the same feeling...there is definitely something off about this transport."_

_A dark, haunted look in Deeks absent gaze set off Callen's radar, causing him to ask pointedly, "you saw it didn't you; were there when Harkin's had some of those men tortured..."_

"_Not for the party, but I definitely saw the aftermath," Deeks said with a hoarse whisper, unable to stop the small shudder that swept over him, "if I would have been there while it was happening...I don't know; I don't know if I coulda' maintained it man...even if it was another crook he was torturing...I don't think I coulda' kept cover; not helped the poor bastards..."_

_..._

"When Harkins found out that three of his 'men' were planning on branching out on their own...taking some of his 'business' he decided to teach them, and the rest of us a lesson about loyalty and betrayal..." Deeks explained with a heavy sigh, his eyes downcast and haunted as he relived the experience, "it was two brother's and a cousin...after he had them beat nearly to death, he tied them up and made the two older ones watch as he whipped and tortured the youngest...then, god, then he gave the older brother a choice-watch his kid brother die a slow and painful death...or-or he could pull the trigger himself and put the kid out of his misery..."

Kensi was horrified at the thought of her partner witnessing such cruelty, and couldn't help the tears burning in hers eyes. Sam's face was a hard mask as he attempted to reign in his emotions; anger and horror at what the detective described fighting for dominance against the cold fear in his gut as the worry for his partner reached suffocating proportions.

"G's tough, he'll hang on 'til we find him," Sam finally said, laying a comforting hand on Deeks shoulder, "and this time; this time Harkins going down-and he's staying down."

**...NCIS LA...**

**a/n: yeah, I know-too short: but I just needed a transition from the crime scene to the rescue...so, is Harkins sounding evil enough? AND, I just love those team bonding moments...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

/./ CH 9 /./

a/n: so terribly sorry for the delays...these next couple chapters are just not coming easily...multiple POV's & flashbacks are a real bitch to write and keep straight...(_italics_ indicate the flashbacks)

...NCIS LA...

They'd only been on the ground no more than four or five hours but it already felt like a lifetime to the agent as he took yet another punch from one of Harkin's thugs. The beating that had started shortly after landing had been a rather casual and unhurried affair.

"You know, this is all Sully's, I mean—_**Detective**_ Deeks, fault...he knows what happens to those that betray me..." Harkins said conversationally.

"Funny, it's not him I see here...it's you," Callen spat out angrily from his position tied to a chair in what he could only surmise was a garage or outbuilding.

"Ah, don't worry, he'll be here soon enough to put one of you out of your misery..." Harkin's said with a malevolent glint to his eye.

Callen eyed Harkins incredulously, his voice low and tight, "What the hell is that supposed to mean...you left him bleeding out...he won't be going anywhere but the hospital; **if he's not dead already..."**

**...**

_Images assaulted Callen as he remembered the sudden appearance of the chopper, the explosions ripping through the SUV in front of him, as bullets riddled the vehicle he was riding causing the driver to swerve sharply and put them in the ditch. He remembered as he and the other agents rolled from damaged vehicle to defensive positions just as a second RPG stuck just feet in front of the transport van, causing the driver to swerve so sharply the van flipped on its side, skidding nearly twenty yards before coming to a stop. _

_In between the blasts from the weapons fire, Callen dared a look towards the transport van...and was dismayed to see two of the suspects reach the van and begin prying open the doors, putting Deeks in the exact precarious and dangerous position the NCIS team had feared from the beginning._

_Looking the other two Marshall's pinned down with him behind the SUV, he snapped out, "Two suspects are going for Harkin's, we need to slow them down..."_

"_Back up should be here soon..." one of the men stated, as he wiped blood from the side of his face from a gash across his forehead._

"_Not soon enough..." Callen snapped back.  
_

_Exchanging grim looks the two Marshall's nodded and slowly made their way around one side of the SUV while Callen went around the other way and they began making their way towards the van, hiding behind what little cover they could find._

_Cautiously peering from around his current piece of cover Callen saw the two Marshalls' make their way around the flaming SUV, attempting to flank the van from the right. Turning his eyes back to the van he saw the two men help Harkin's from the van; watching as the three men conversed briefly before turning their attentions back to the inside of the van. _

_If Harkin's managed to survive the crash relatively unscathed there was a chance Deeks did also...but that little victory would be short lived if Callen didn't act quickly..._

**...NCIS LA...**

"_G's tough, he'll hang on 'til we find him," Sam finally said, laying a comforting hand on Deeks shoulder, "and this time; this time Harkins going down-and he's staying down."_

Deeks just shook his head, "I don't know, Sam, Harkin's is a certifiable genius...he can make plans off the cuff that would take anyone else days or weeks to work through" Deeks continued wearily, "In all my years undercover, I've never seen anything quite like it. During my time undercover, I saw him make meticulous plans, only to discard them completely, sometimes in mid operation, when he felt that it could work in his favor—and not in that... 'oh, shit, everything is going to hell, what do we do now' kinda way, either. And somehow, it always worked out for him."

"Not this time," Sam commented tightly, "he decided to take on the wrong team."

Shaking her head in confusion, Kensi commented, "As smart as you say this guy is I can't believe he's willing to risk getting recaptured, to get his revenge like this—kidnapping a federal agent..."

Deeks shrugged his shoulders, "...he's already dying, what else, can we do to him?"

"So you're saying, Harkin's kidnapping Callen, to get revenge against you was a spur of the moment plan? Why? He somehow managed to plan and pull off an elaborate escape...and as much as I hate to point it out, Deeks, that bastard had you dead to rights during the ambush...why not finish it then?" Sam asked.

"I think _that was_ his original plan...but he found something worse than putting a bullet in my head, "Deeks commented quietly before letting out a heavy, stuttering sigh, his voice cracking with emotion as he tonelessly repeated what Harkin's had said to him before kicking him unconscious, _"The key to making someone suffer is to know what causes them the most pain."_

With that statement it all became clear to Sam and Kensi and they exchanged worried looks. They knew exactly what Harkin's meant by the threat, and they could see the detective slowly shutting down, guilt tearing him apart: and though they well understood where it was coming from, in their opinions, it was misplaced.

In their line of work they made enemies, it was inevitable...and they accepted that danger for themselves, and prepared for the day when they might have to face down those that might chose to try their hand at revenge; but nothing could quite prepare any agent, take away that suffocating fear and guilt, when someone else got caught in that crossfire...whether it was a civilian or another agent, the guilt was still consuming.

"So, Harkin's sees an opportunity and takes it; but if this is all some sick game to him and he expects you to come after Callen why shoot you and leave you for dead..." Kensi asks.

"Well besides the fact that he's a controlling, sick, sadistic bastard that likes nothing better than to see other people suffer; he's not the one who shot me...it was one of his men; you might have seen him...the dead guy..." Deeks ground out.

"At least you got him..." Sam said grimly.

"_**Wasn't me**__..."_ Deeks said pointedly with a shake of his head.

"Wait, are you saying Harkin's shot the guy...he shot one of his own men..." Kensi exclaimed

Deeks just nodded...

...

_Deeks return to consciousness was abrupt and confusing to the detective as the sounds of rapid gunfire and explosions assaulted his senses. He looked around blearily, wondering at first who had the TV up so loud and why his bed felt so hard and cold: but as his eyes began to focus and his sluggish mind began to process his surroundings he was jolted to wakefulness._

_He was lying flat, his legs raised and slightly bent from where he was still strapped in, still in a seated position on the bench seat in the back of the transport van. His eyes darted around the interior of the van, noting almost immediately that the van was now resting on its side...he couldn't see the driver, but Masterson's body was hanging from the passenger seat, dead or unconscious, Deeks didn't know._

_He startled when the rear door banged opened and sunlight flooded into the interior causing him to squint against the harshness...the figure, that he now noticed hunched at the door, blocking his view of the two blurry figures that stood at the open door, eying the interior critically._

_He began fumbling with the latch on his seat strap as his muddled mind finally snapped into focus as he realized what was happening. Harkin's...it was Harkin's huddled at the door and the two blurry shapes were helping him out of the van...helping him escape!_

_Rising panic was making Deeks all thumbs as he continued to struggle with the seat belt, reach for his backup, and pull himself up from his awkward position in a an attempt to follow Harkin's out of the van._

_As Harkins stood and straightened to his full height, one of the men waved a gun carelessly in Deeks direction, asking, "He the one?"_

_Casually following the wave, Harkins looked back at the still struggling detective and answered, "Yes...," turning back to the two men, "...are things going as planned?"_

"_Yes sir...area is being secured as we speak...plans are going as anticipated...RPG's on either side isolated the transport van and took out one of the SUV's and the other one took heavy artillery fire...the men are neutralizing any remaining thre..." the man's report was cut off by several angry commands; one of which Deeks recognized instantly and he couldn't help a small grin as he heard one distinct voice amongst the many..."NCIS...freeze right where you are..."_

'_Things might not be so hopeless after all,' Deeks thought as he made his way cautiously to the door of the van..._

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n; I know it was short and ended with a bit of a cliffy, but it just flow better when its presented scene by scene instead of one big lump...


	10. Chapter 10

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

**/././ Chapter 10 /././**

"_Yes sir...area is being secured as we speak...plans are going as anticipated...RPG's on either side isolated the transport van and took out one of the SUV's and the other one took heavy artillery fire...the men are neutralizing any and all remaining thre..." the man's report was cut off by several angry commands; one of which Deeks recognized instantly and he couldn't help a small grin as he heard one distinct voice amongst the many..."NCIS...freeze right where you are..."_

'_Things might not be so hopeless after all,' Deeks thought as he made his way cautiously to the door of the van..._

_..._

"It all went to hell after that," Deeks explained, "I managed to finally get out of the seat belt and grab my back up...but one of Harkin's men saw the movement just as I was about to take one of them down; we ended up in a heap on the ground..." his tone bitter, he added with an angry look to his wound, "guess who lost...?"

"That's when you took one in the shoulder..." Sam surmised and Deeks nodded.

"Harkins was furious...don't know who was more surprised, us or his men, when he just capped the guy right there...didn't bat an eye doing it," Deeks said, adding with a bitter snort, "for a minute no one quite knew who they should be pointing their guns at."

...

_Callen quickly recovered from the sudden turn of events, his eyes going from the still form of the man Harkins just shot to the man himself, ordering harshly, "It's over Harkins...put your guns down."_

"_Over? It's hardly even begun, agent Callen," Harkins replied, pointing his weapon at the injured detective, "I suggest it is you and those remaining Marshall's that need to drop your weapons."_

"_Callen...NO, don't do it... He won't kill me," Deeks ground out, his voice laced with pain, but his tone taunting, "not here...that would be too easy, wouldn't it Harkins. Not your style, is it? ...haven't forgotten what you did to those other men...the lesson you tried to teach them...and that's it isn't it...you gotta show then who's boss, who's in charge...right..."_

"_Deeks..." Callen voice held a warning, what was the detective trying to do get himself shot again..._

_Looking Harkins in the eye, Deeks answered Callen's warning, "Don't worry Callen...he won't shoot me...that'd be too quick; take him down Callen—just take your shot..."_

_Callen could feel the Marshall's tense beside him, ready to follow his lead. He had a clear shot, was itching to remove the threat to his friend, but he could clearly see Harkins finger coiled around the trigger...if he shot Harkins, the man would reflexively pull the trigger of the gun that was aimed right at his liaison officer's heart...he couldn't risk it._

"_Callen don't..." Deeks warned, seeing that the agent was going to concede to Harkins demands._

_Any decision Callen may have made was made mute several seconds later when the rest of Harkins men, having secured the area, converged on the three federal agents... guns at the ready._

"_Mr. Harkins...sir...we really need to leave, their back-up teams will be hitting the area in less than six minutes," the man beside him warned as he glanced at his watch._

_Harkins nodded absently to the man and slowly withdrew the weapon from Deeks chest and turned to the three federal agents, a thoughtful look on his face._

_Seeing the look and recognizing the dangerous gleam in the man's eyes Deeks struggled to rise from the pavement._

"_NO..." Deeks yelled, the desperation the detectives voice startling Callen, "I'm the one that put your sorry ass in jail...the one who bested you..."_

_The raw terror in Deeks voice had Callen instinctively moving towards his teammate, but was stopped by a gun to his chest; all he could do was watch with growing rage as Deeks cried out in pain when Harkins stooped down and grabbed the detective by his collar, roughly jerking him up so they were mere inches apart._

"_Just remember, every cut, every scream, every way I can make him suffer...it's for you: to remind you what happens to those who defy me, betray my trust," Harkins whispered menacingly into the detective's ear, before straightening on his haunches and running a gentle hand through Deeks hair as he continued, "I really liked you...you had such potential, such promise; I never had a brother, but you, you I saw as someone I could trust, confide in...Shame really..."_

"_Then take me...I'm the one who betrayed you; not him," Deeks gasped out from his prone position on the pavement, the blood pouring from his shoulder wound mixing with the gently falling rain._

_Callen attempted to fight his way through the men surrounding him and the Marshall's, when Harkins hand tightened cruelly in Deeks hair, causing the detective to gasp loudly, "And pass up the fortuitous gift laid out before me...this is just too good to pass up, detective."_

"_No..." Deeks managed to gasp get out through the pain._

"_The key to making someone suffer is to know what causes them the most pain," Harkins answered._

_Harkins then straightened from his stooped position and cast his eyes to his the men now restraining an enraged and struggling Callen, "Put agent Callen in the chopper..."_

"_No," Deeks cried out, attempting to push himself up from the pavement only for Harkins to turn and in one fluid motion kick the already injured man in the temple: dropping the detective like a rock back to the pavement—unconscious._

_..._

"The other two Marshall's..." Deeks asked hesitantly.

With a heavy sigh, Sam answered, "Dead. Harkin's men must have shot them before they left the area."

"All of them...dead..." Deeks said in a hoarse whisper.

"One survived...a Marshall...John Craig..." Kensi said.

"Craig? Craig...he was...," Deeks was shaking his head in confusion, "...how...bad is he...?"

"He's banged up...got a concussion from the crash, but he's gonna be fine," Sam assured the detective.

Deeks scowled, suddenly lost in thought, his head shaking slowly back and forth; causing Kensi to lay a gentle hand on her partner's shoulder and ask hesitantly, "Deeks, what is it..."

Not acknowledging his partners touch, he continued to shake his head and whisper hoarsely to himself, "But they're dead...all dead...doesn't make sense, he said..."

Kensi and Sam exchanged looks, before Sam laid a hand on Deeks other shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze attempting to get the man's attention, "Deeks, man, what is it...are you remembering something...?"

Exchanging concerned looks, Kensi said, "maybe I'd better get the doctor...the concussion may be worse than they thought."

Still not acknowledging his friends, the detective continued to ramble absently, lost in thought, "they're all dead...you said they're all dead...but the guys that did this...the guys Harkin's hired—they're professionals...they know what they're doing...?" Deeks suddenly turned questioning eyes towards Sam, "they knew what they were doing...they secured the scene...I heard one of them reporting to Harkin's-they 'neutralized_**all**_the threats..."

Sam nodded to the agitated detective, as Deeks continued, "...so if these guys were that good...how is Craig still alive?"

"There was a lot going on...they thought Craig was dead alone with the driver," Sam offered.

"No," Deeks said, wincing in pain when he shook his head adamantly, "no, these guys were good...ex-military...mercenary types...would they really make that mistake?"

Deeks looked back up at the Ex-SEAL expectantly.

Now it was Sam's turn to shake his head, he too felt there was something off about the Marshall's story, "No, they wouldn't...they would have taken out all threats to their escape...they wouldn't have left any witnesses..."

"So we find out how Craig is involved we find our way to Callen..." Deeks stated, throwing off his blanket, he said, "now get me the hell out of here."

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: got a few pesky case details to work out-those why's and the how's, that will tie everything up (and hopefully make some amount of sense)...then I should have the last chapter or two typed up and this one will be done.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

Chapter 11

a/n: my, but us fanfic reader/writers are a sick bunch of puppies...I think we're scarier than any of the bad guys we come up with...not only coming up with and writing these "whumping" scenes, but begging for them...really ! YES, I'm planning on doling out some torture to our beloved team leader...need it to move the plot along and dump even more angst onto our poor detective.

**...NCIS LA...**

With the setting of the sun, Callen knew it had been more than eight hours since they had touched down at Harkin's small compound. He was surprised when the beatings had stopped and for the most part he had been left alone after he and Harkin's little chat. But that left him with little else to do but think and mull over his predicament and the terrifying events of the day.

He knew that Hetty had seen it all, on thermals, from Ops; that Sam and Kensi wouldn't have been that far out...what he didn't know was whether it was enough, whether they were on time to save the injured detective. He didn't know whether to be relieved or worried that Harkin's seemed assured that Deeks was not only alive but would find them in this hidden compound. Even if the detective was somehow not that badly injured and capable of leaving the hospital, how would Deeks even know this place existed when the Feds missed it while trying to track down and confiscate as many of Harkin's assets as possible during the investigation and subsequent trial.

He squirmed uncomfortably in the seat he had been sitting in for the last several many hours...though he tried not to dwell on it, he couldn't help the knots that formed in his gut knowing what was likely in store for him. He'd read the reports, seen the crime scene photos...he knew what Harkin's was capable of, knew he was most likely going to suffer a similar painful and gruesome fate.

The possibility of pain, of death, mixed with a healthy dose of uncertainty ...it was part of the job for an agent, you couldn't dwell on the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' and be able to do this job: but that didn't mean the thoughts weren't there, just that tiniest bit of fear, lurking in the shadows. But he found the fear wasn't only for himself, but for the detective as well...if Harkin's killed him, well...but to know it would be on Deeks conscious...that didn't set well with the seasoned agent—that he was a means to an end to make the detective suffer filled him with a smoldering rage.

The door suddenly opened, pulling Callen from his thoughts and he watched warily as one of Harkin's hired goons wheeled in a metal tray table, its contents covered by a black cloth. It didn't take a trained agent to know that the covered cart did not bode well for the agent...and he steeled himself for what he knew, and imaged, would be coming: his mind again flashing through the autopsy and crime scene photos from years before.

Harkins came in several moments later, lifting the cloth and inspecting the contents, before turning to his prisoner, "So Agent Callen, how good are your people...how long before they find this place...?"

"What...?" Called asked in utter surprise, "...how the hell are they gonna find this place now if the feds didn't find it before?"

Callen honestly didn't understand why and how Harkins was so very sure that this place would be found, they had divested him of his earwig and phone long ago, so tracing the missing agent through those means was out of the question; and he knew the range of the thermal imaging did not extend the full distance they had traveled to get their current location.

"I don't get you...you manage to pull off the perfect escape...you had all the Marshalls killed that could ID your men..."Callen began, and although he was loathe to ask the man for anything he just had to know, "...and you had Detective Deeks in your sight, you could have...you could have killed him then and there; so why are you doing this? Why did you bring me here...you could have been out of the country by now...?"

"Not quite everyone..." Harkins replied absently as he removed the cloth and began running his hand over the various items laid out.

Callen didn't know whether to be relieved or frustrated that Harkin's body was blocking his view of exactly what was on the cart. He shook his head and asked impatiently, "not quite everyone...what?"

Turning to the agent, Harkins continued conversationally, "not quite everyone is dead..."

A slight thrill of hope ran through Callen that Deeks might still be alive, but was quickly replaced by worry that Harkins was so sure of the fact—which could only mean one thing..."you have someone on the inside..."

Harkins lay a finger aside his nose then pointed to Callen with a small nod, commenting with sarcasm, "just the kind of deductive reasoning I'd expect from a government agent..."

Ignoring the insult, Callen asked, "...still doesn't explain why your expect them to find this place...shouldn't your inside man be leading them _away_ from this place, not towards it: thought you hired smarter help than that...?"

"I don't hire them to think, I hire them to do as their told...and follow the baser nature of all men..." Harkins snapped.

Not quite understand the man's reasoning, Callen furrowed his brow and asked slowly, "so, let me get this straight...you **want** you informant to lead them here?"

Harkins rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently, "Really, so prosaic and one dimensional in your thinking, agent Callen."

"So sorry I'm a little slow on the uptake today, I've got a lot on my mind right now..." Callen replied with biting sarcasm.

Harkins just shook his head, "the plan was always to lead the feds to this place...after all, an 'inside man', as you basely call it, it of little use without the proper clearance to get me the information I may require..."

Callen scowled at the man as he attempted to weed through the convoluted thinking of the sociopath standing before him, after all, he was an agent—not a profiler.

"So you leave one Marshall alive—and he, what...you give him the location so he can lead them here," Callen said slowly, asking, "...to what end? If you wanted to be caught again, why escape to begin with?"

The man just rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration, "you're still thinking linearly, Agent Callen...of course I would not have been here when the feds finally showed up..."

When Callen just looked at him blankly, Harkins just shook his head, "...thanks to our mutual acquaintance—Detective Deeks, I lost quite a bit of my assets...and as I don't have much time to re- acquire said assets..."

"You're dying..." Callen said bluntly, adding, "...so why not take what you do have and lay low...?"

"Really...'lay low', like I am some common criminal...hardly," Harkins said in disgust. "There is a chance this cancer can be put in remission...but it's costly..."

Realization dawning, Callen interjected, "and the treatment will tap out what resources you still have available..."

"Ineloquent, but essentially correct..." Harkins replied.

"So you need to make a quick, easy buck..." Callen scoffed, shaking his head, "still doesn't explain why you need an inside man to lead the Marshall's here...they'll confiscate what's here...?"

"Basic economic premise...'you have to spend money to make money'...a small investment in my 'inside man's' future career options. The agent that has this piece of work under their belt..."

Nodding, Callen interrupted, "will most likely get a promotion...gain more access to more Intel...a higher clearance..."

"All that money and assets out there just waiting to be brokered...or taken...from those amateurs the FBI and Marshall Service are investigating" Harkins said.

"You expect your man to fill you in on ongoing cases...lead you to suspects..." Callen said, "...he leads an assault team to this location, confiscates some of your hidden assets—that would be a real feather it the agents cap that could do that, get them a promotion...but, how, was your man supposed to find this place without arousing suspicion..."

Turning to the agent with a casual smile, Harkin's said, "...now, that's where our detective was to play his part..."

"Deeks...how..." Callen asked slowly, not liking where this conversation was leading, "it wasn't just about leading them here...it was a set up...this was a set up—for Deeks! So, that's why he was riding in the transport van...to make it easier for your men to take him...what, was he wired...?"

Harkin's just looked at the struggling agent, a smug look crossing his features.

Callen fought against his restraints angrily, "You bastard...so you manage to buy off an agent...get them to betray another cop..."

Harkins just shook his head, "I just trolled the water...dangled the worm on the hook, paid the right snitches to say the right thing...your Marshall Masterson played right into my plans when he jumped at the chance to 'use' the detective as his own little tracking device..."

"After a few well-placed suggestions by your inside man no doubt..." Callen scoffed.

"My man did not quite have the necessary pull to orchestrate my plan...so; we had to put that little bird in Masterson's ear..." Harkins just shrugged, "Rather poetic justice, don't you think...so Shakespearian really—betrayal for betrayal and such; I trusted him...who he claimed to be, saw him like a brother. So who better to be an instrument in his death but his 'brother's in blue'...his death the first step to remaking what he destroyed..."

"But you gave it all up...you changed the game plan...why...?" Callen asked.

"Because a quick death is to clean...too good for that Judas," Harkins ground out angrily, slamming his fist into the metal tray, "...because as satisfying as tearing into his flesh-tearing out his heart...laying bare his fears, seeing his soul consumed in guilt...that's what destroys a man like our detective...and you, agent Callen, will be the instrument in that destruction..."

"I will not help you destroy a good man..." Callen spat out angrily.

Turning back toward the bound agent, a sadistic smile crossing his features, Harkins replied conversationally, as he reached down and picked up a coiled whip from the cart, "What make you think you have a choice..."

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: sorry, not the level of torture you might have wanted, I'll try to add it in the next chapter as Harkin's plan unravels from the 'other' side...I just hope this chapter made sense...it was a struggle to write...


	12. Chapter 12

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

**Chapter 12**

a/n; so very sorry for the delays...but this proved to be a damnably difficult chapter to piece together, I literally struggled over every paragraph—rewrote it dozens of times from different angles...I hope it doesn't feel like too much of a jumble...just pulling a TV stunt where half the investigation takes place "off camera" so we can focus on the "reveal"- and if I didn't do it this way, then this chapter might not **ever** have gotten written as I felt like I had written myself into a corner...and I'm to OCD to leave things unanswered, or at least not get them to the point the reader can't fill in the blanks on their own (like they do to us when we watch these shows)...

a/n: and because it has been so long I'm posting the last two chapters and a very angsty Callen/Deeks epilogue in one post...now on to finish some other stories...

"_italics"__** indicates flashbacks**_

**...NCIS LA...**

"_What the hell, Harkins; you weren't supposed to take out the whole damn team and nabbing that NCIS agent was not part of the plan...what the hell do you expect me to do now..." the man hissed angrily into his phone, "that detective was supposed to be my lead for the assault team...how in the hell I'm I supposed to get them there now?"_

"_Things are still going according to the plan, with some modifications," Harkins replied._

"_Modifications...this whole plan has gone to hell, what were you thinking. I can't control what NCIS does...hell; they had the whole convoy on satellite imagery...saw the whole damn thing..."_

"_Really...did they manage to track the helicopter," Harkins asked with interest._

"_Only for about six miles before it was out of range..." Craig snapped back._

"_Then I don't see the problem...now instead of following the detective you follow the agent..." Harkin's said with mild impatience as he picked up a small ear bud and rolled it in his fingers..._

"_What...how the hell am I supposed to do that...?"_

_With a heavy sigh, Harkins replied, "Your boss gave our agent Callen one of your ear buds...I guess we missed it when we searched him..."_

"_They'll never believe that...that it could be that simple," Craig shot back, "and that detective certainly knows you're not that careless...besides it's too late to use that..."_

"_Marty is a bright one...how is he by the way...?" Harkins asked curiously, "...he'll be making it to the party...can't have the man of the hour missing his party after all the trouble I went through to get him here..."_

"_The shot was a through and through, he'll live...you gave him damn concussion though..." Craig answered in exasperation, "he's in the hospital..."_

"_Conscious...?" Harkins inquired._

"_Yeah, I guess...why..."_

"_Then he'll be here...a little thing like a bullet hole won't keep Marty from coming to me...he knows what will happen if the doesn't..." Harkins explained conversationally, adding, "you just make sure that you point Marty and the rest of his team in this direction in the next few hours...agent Callen is getting rather restless in his wait..."_

_Giving an angry sigh, Craig snapped, "I don't get you...you were supposed to get you sick jollies on that detective and be long gone by the time we got there...you sound like you're gonna be on the welcoming committee...how the hell does that help you...or me...you're just gonna get yourself arrested..."_

"_I've still got some surprises up my sleeve...for the both of us..." Harkins said with growing impatience, "you just get Marty Deeks here."_

_Harkins flipped his phone closed and stood looking out the window into the deepening shadows of evening, absently mulling over Craig's options...while he rarely found anyone who had the mental prowess to figure out his intricate plans he none the less never underestimated his adversaries, never let pride, as would a lesser man, to muddy his thinking...always working on the opposite assumption that they __**would**__ eventually get lucky. He worked through every scenario possible...from a bumbling adversary that couldn't find the answer if you handed it to them on a silver platter to that one rare individual who could keep up with his ever fluid thinking. No matter how NCIS or Craig played it, it would be a win in his book; because, before this was over, Marty Deeks would be destroyed._

_Harkins eyes came to rest on the storage building the NCIS agent was being held...soon it would begin...once Craig steered the agents towards this location it would be just a matter of a few hours before his revenge would be complete...before he utterly and irrevocably destroyed everything that made Marty Deeks who he was...before he was free of everything._

**...ncis la...**

Every minute that passed since regaining consciousness was unadulterated torture for Deeks, and with every minute that ticked off the clock the fear in his gut twisted and tightened until he felt like he was being torn in two.

The files Craig had provided the NCIS team on Harkin's original investigation yielded little clues to where the madman may have taken their missing agent.

"How much longer are we gonna sit around and wait..." Deeks complained bitterly, "we need to be out there... Callen is..."

"We are well aware of the danger that Mr. Callen is in Mr. Deeks...and _**we will**_ find him..." Hetty intoned somewhat impatiently, "But as of right now we only have a general direction the helicopter went...without more accurate readings we are left with thousands of acres to search in those mountains."

"Eric used a satellite before..." Deeks cajoled.

"And the next satellite will be in position in three more hours," Hetty responded.

Slamming a hand down on the worktable, Deeks ground out angrily, "Callen doesn't have three more hours...it's already been over twelve hours; do you have any idea what Harkin's is capable of doing in that amount of time..."

Sam put a steadying hand on the distraught man's shoulders as Deeks outburst left him breathless and tilting dizzily to one side, "hey...settle down...you think we're not doing everything we can to find my partner...?"

Kensi had wheeled a chair over and bumped it against Deeks legs, Sam gently forcing Deeks to sit.

The detective hit the chair boneless, leaning slightly forward with his injured shoulder/arm pulled tightly to his body, his voice a rough whisper, "this shouldn't be happening..."

"Uh, guys...think we finally have something..." Eric's voice interjected.

"You found something Mr. Beale..." Hetty asked.

"I finally broke the encryption on Masterson's files...and I found one, code named—'Chameleon' and I got a hit on Harkin's name...and Deeks..."

"We've also been digging through Craig's files and financials..." Nell chimed in.

"Put it up Mr. Beale; let's see what the Marshall's _**didn't**_ tell us..." Hetty instructed the tech operator.

**...ncis la...**

John Craig pulled up at the rather non-descript looking boat shed and shut off his car. He eyed the boat shed and the surrounding area guardedly as he ran a hand through his hair. The NCIS operations manager had called and said that they had uncovered new information and wanted to run it past him to get him opinion. The thought left him edgy...he knew the files he had supplied the team held nothing that could help...and surely the detective's old files didn't hold anything that the teams didn't already know...

Despite what they might think they had, Craig still wasn't sure exactly how he was going to play this...he knew suddenly being able to track their missing agent with the Marshall issued ear bud was weak,_** and**_ hours overdue; but his only other option was to read them in on the original plan...not only would that likely get him punched in the face (if the team was inclined to feel overly generous) when the NCIS team found out they had attempted to use the detective-it could prove disastrous if NCIS dug to deep.

The decision was taken from him when his door suddenly flew open and hands grabbed him bodily by the collar and hauled him roughly from his car, slamming him against the car, "what the hell..."

"You son of a bitch...I should kill you right now for what you tried to do to Deeks..." Sam growled out angrily, giving the man a shake he added, "...and if my partner dies, I may still..."

"Sam," Kensi said as way of warning, laying a hand on her team mate's shoulder, adding dryly, "let's at least hear what he has to say first...then we can kill him..."

The female agent's toneless voice and total lack of facial expression sent a sliver of fear crawling through his gut. Craig had no doubt by the hard set of the woman's face she wasn't just saying that to get the large man to back off-he saw it in her eyes, she meant it; and he had no doubt that these people could pull it off.

"Whatever it is you think you know...I can explain..." Craig sputtered out, attempting to push the large angry man away from him.

"Your damn right you'll explain..." Sam growled as he pulled Craig from the car and shoved him towards the boatshed.

**...ncis la...  
**

The Marshall was shoved bodily into a chair in front of a large screen bearing the NCIS logo; he didn't have time to take in any more of his surroundings before the diminutive operations manager walked into the room, followed more slowly by the injured detective.

Craig stiffened at seeing the detective, expecting a similar assault to come from the man, surprisingly, none came: the detective merely looked at him with an unreadable expression before settling heavily onto the nearby couch.

"We seem to have a bit of a problem Mr. Craig...I **don't** take kindly to my people being used...this job is inherently dangerous enough without our own side needlessly adding to that danger," Hetty said evenly as she came up to stand in front of the seated man, her eyes boring into him.

"Excuse me...use your people...we had no idea that Harkins would take your agent..." Craig asked, shifting uncomfortably and quirking his brow in confusion.

Sliding a quick look to the injured detective sitting on the couch, Hetty responded, "I'm not talking about Agent Callen..."

Nodding towards Deeks, Craig said slowly, "...he's an LAPD detective, he's not an agent?"

Towering over the Marshall, Sam said evenly, "he's** our** detective...and no one messes with **our** team..."

"Mr. Beale, if you would..." Hetty said as she turned to the screen as it popped to life showing Eric and the ops center.

Eric's fingers flew over his keyboard and seconds later the screen split to show the tech and the front cover of a file, before he said, "File name—**Chameleon.**.."

Jumping from his seat and interrupting angrily, Craig pointed to the screen and all but shouted, "How the hell...that's classified...how the hell did you get hold of that file..."

"Sit down, Mr. Craig..." Hetty intoned evenly.

"That file is 'eyes only'.._**.how**_ did you get it...?" Craig demanded again as he waved a finger at the screen.

"I said...sit down, Mr. Craig..." Hetty again said, her eyes moving to Sam, who stepped into Craig's space.

Turning, Craig gave a heavy sigh, running both his hands down his face before moving the few steps to the nearby table and leaning heavily on his hands. Coming up with a plan to steer the team away from the Marshall's original plan no longer an option he said resignedly, "It was all Masterson's idea..."

"But you went along with it..." Sam accused, "you willingly set up Deeks to get to Harkins...knowing full well what that psychopath wanted to do to him...that he wanted to kill Deeks...do you even know what side your on anymore, man..."

"It wouldn't have gotten that far...we had him wired..." Craig defended.

"How far was too far..." Kensi cut in angrily, "you were willing to let Harkins kidnap my partner just to find one more hiding place...a few thousand in assets...was Deeks life worth that...?"

Craig looked at the agents, and then at the screen, "You've read the file..."

"Yes, Mr. Craig, we read the file...we know you and Mr. Masterson were basing an entire operation on the word of a less than trustworthy source...that you were willing to let a convicted and very dangerous man escape to lead you to more of his assets and organization in hopes of it leading you to new players.._**.and**_ you were willing to risk Detective Deeks life to do it..."

Craig just shook his head and gave a small sigh; this whole operation was spinning out of his control. This was definitely not the way he wanted the NCIS team to find out, but it could still serve his purpose; he could still lead the team to Harkins...recover assets...hopefully save the agent and still achieve his end goal...he just had to change his part...play the subordinate...just following orders, surely each person in this room had been in the position in the past of having orders they didn't agree with...but followed, because that was their job.

"How..." an emotionless and far to calm male voice pulled him from his thoughts, "...the ear bud? Harkin's would have dumped it immediately...same with my cell...so how was I wired that you could have followed me...that Harkins wouldn't have found?"

"Because Harkins was in on the plan from the beginning...when _**you**_ put yourself out there as an agent that could be bought..." Hetty supplied.

With another heavy sigh, Craig nodded slowly, "we got a tip from a snitch on the inside...heard rumors that Harkins was going to use the convoy to attempt to escape...wanted to get to his un-seized assets to pay for his cancer treatment...and from there try to re-establish himself in the game."

"So you decided to help him along..." Hetty prodded.

"The treatment he needs is expensive, even for him...would have tapped out any of his remaining assest. He may be brilliant...can manipulate anyone and nearly anthing...but what he needed most was time and information. We figured he would try to cut corners, look for inside help...with times, dates, with the route...and he would look to the transport team first...but we knew Harkins was too smart to fall for planted financials...so we worked out a plan to approach him directly..."

"You realize Harkins played you...do you really think anyone who knows Harkins...of what he's capable of, would purposefully double cross that psychopath, there's nothing the Feds could offer as a counter to Harkins temper..." Deeks said quietly, "he counted on you expecting him to make an escape attempt. He took everything you knew about him and used it against you...he just waited for you to make the first move, then gave you back exactly what you expected..."

_...ncis la..._

_Deeks and Sam stood impatiently in one of the visitor rooms of the CSP, turning when the door opened to reveal a tall, balding, and slightly overweight inmate being led by a guard._

_The inmate looked at the two men before looking at the guard, "I don't know these two..."_

"_Yeah, they know you Tiny..." the guard said with a snort, looking to Sam and Deeks he said, "he's all yours..."_

"_Have a seat...Tiny..." Deeks said, waving to a chair._

"_I think I'll stand...don't know why you are but I ain't got nothin' ta' say ta' either of ya'..." the inmate sneered._

_Quicker than Tiny could follow, he suddenly found himself slammed forcefully into the seat, Sam commenting lightly as he patted the man's shoulder, "the man told you to have a seat."_

"_What's this all about...who the hell are you guys...?" Tiny demanded, turning towards the door and shouting, "guard...hey guard...I wanna go back ta' my cell..."_

"_You're not going anywhere Tiny, not 'til you answer some questions..." Deeks said casually as he turned a chair around and sat down so he was eye level with the felon._

_Looking back and forth between the men the inmate crossed his arms and said stubbornly, "...I ain't got nothin' to say..."_

_Exchanging looks, Deeks said, "Hear that Sam, Tiny here doesn't want to talk to us...that's a real shame 'cause he might want to hear what we have to say..."_

"_Yeah, he might want to know why he's gonna be moved to death row..." Sam replied conversationally._

_Sitting up straighter in his seat and looking back and forth between the two men, Tiny questioned angrily, "...death row...what the hell you talking about..."_

"_What'd you get out of it Tiny...money...time off your sentence...what...?" Deeks asked._

"_Get outa' what...who, the hell, are you..." Tiny demanded in total exasperation._

"_Me, you don't know," Sam said, pointing to himself, then pointed to the seated detective he said, "him, you might have heard of...Detective Deeks..."_

_Tiny's brow crawled up his forehead, "no...No, can't be...you should be...but...how..."_

_The two agents traded looks, Sam asked, "...now what were you gonna say, Tiny...you're looking kind of pale there..." Sam turned towards Deeks, "Tiny here looks like he's seen a ghost..."_

"_See we know that you told the Feds about what you heard...about Harkins wanting to use his transport to the MDC to escape..." Sam explained._

"_What I don't get Tiny is that you're a smart man...you've been in and out of the joint, you know the score...you can't tell me you don't know Harkins reputation...and yet you snitched," Deeks asked, "...__**and**__ you're still alive; and I have to wonder why...?"_

_Tiny was looking decidedly nervous, "Is he...Harkins...is he..."_

"_Dead...not yet...don't worry Tiny, even Harkins can't get you where you're going..." Deeks said, "you see Harkins changed his game plan...he didn't kill me. Instead he kidnapped a federal agent...if it's not a sure bet that you get the chair for conspiracy to kill a cop...It's a damn sure thing if it's a federal agent..."_

"_Okay...okay...look, information, it's a valuable commodity...thought I'd do Harkins a solid and get some time off my sentence at the same time...win/win right..." Tiny said._

"_You thought giving Harkins up was a win...?" Deeks asked incredulous._

"_Harkins is the one who told me to tell them...the Feds. Harkins, he wanted them to know..." Tiny said._

"_Damn it..." Deeks said._

_...ncis la..._

"Tiny was just following orders and you just ate it up...I can't believe you didn't suspect Tiny's story...didn't it strike you as odd that Tiny would know any of that...that Harkins would leave any loose ends..." Deeks said in disgust.

"Listen, this guy is one sick, slippery bastard...changes his game plan in mid-play; we were barely keeping up with him...and with that brain cancer, it was getting even harder to follow him...he'd been getting consistently more erratic in his thinking and follow through..." Craig defended.

"So you barely have a handle on your suspect and you thought that warranted putting Detective Deeks ..." Hetty asked.

"We had a handle on it..." Craig defended.

"_Had a handle on it_...how in hell can you say that...on our best days we were always three steps behind the bastard; and you said yourself, with the cancer he was growing more erratic..." Deeks railed, "...how the hell is _**that**_ having a handle on anything...? You play him, he plays you...who did you _really_ think was going to _**win**_ that game...?"

The tirade left Deeks breathless and he staggered to lean against a wall: Sam reached out to steady him, "come on...back to the couch."

"So, Mr. Craig, do explain how you and your team had a 'handle' on this operation...?" Hetty asked.

Craig made a sweeping gesture with his hand as he looked towards the detective, "Look, you spent enough time with the man...he doesn't trust anyone or anything...double and triple checks everything...works through as many contingencies as is humanly possible..." Craig turned to the other agents as he continued to explain, "...with or without Tiny's piece of Intel, we knew as well as Harkins himself that this was his only shot...at freedom...at beating the cancer..."

"So already you're working at a disadvantage...Harkins already had you figured out..." Sam interjected.

"Listen it boiled down to one big...we know, you know, we know; he was playing us-we were playing him and both sides knew it...but with the cancer, it was getting harder for Harkins to piece together and hold onto a plan—his twists and turns were becoming so erratic he was losing touch with reality..." Craig explained.

"And you think it's a good idea to play tit for tat with an erratic, uncontrollable brilliant psychopath...and you thought that was helpful how...when you couldn't tell his lucid moments from his brain eating crazy ones...?" Deeks asked sarcastically.

"We played to the lucid ones and just let the 'crazy' burn itself out..." Craig replied.

The team just stared at the Marshall with varying degrees of incredulousness, Deeks interjecting with continued sarcasm, "bang up way to run a case..."

"How was all this helpful, Mr. Craig...?" Hetty asked.

Craig explained, "we knew if we buried financials for him to find to try to bribe or buy off an agent he would see through it in a heartbeat...so we arranged to approach him directly with a deal...even if he didn't buy it he would find some way to use it to his advantage..."

"So you offered yourself up as an agent that could be bought..." Sam intoned, "...but how'd you sell it...if you knew he wouldn't buy it...?"

Craig's eyes rested on Deeks, who met his gaze, and answered tightly, "You willingly sold me out..."

"It's easy enough for an undercover to get things for a mark...feed them Intel...all easy enough to manipulate..." Craig said, "...but we all know that what he wanted the most..."

Craig trailed off, and Deeks intoned flatly, "...me...he wanted me..."

"So you convinced Harkins that you would not only help him escape and recover his assets...but you would give up Mr. Deeks to him..." Hetty reiterated.

"Money, Intel, assets...like I said, easy to manipulate, all things Harkins would expect...but being willing to deliver the cop that brought him down...that got his attention..." Craig said.

"But even that can be controlled...and in Harkins lucid moments he would have to know that..." Sam countered, "and why didn't you just come to us...let us in on the plan?"

"Maybe, but we couldn't take that chance...Harkins is a master at reading people, and he spent enough time with the detective to spot all his tells..." Craig answered, adding, "If Harkins had one blind spot...it was getting his pound of flesh from detective Deeks...I don't think it mattered to him anymore...as long as he could take you out detective..."

"If he was that hell bent on revenge he wouldn't tolerate it being pulled out from under him at the last minute...you had to have something to offer that he'd believe..." Deeks countered, "...especially since you suspected he knew you were playing him...what could you have offered him that he would trust you...?"

Craig shrugged, and offered lamely, "the cancer...it was eating away at more of his lucid though processes..."

The three agents exchanged looks and Hetty nodded towards Kensi, who moved up a tossed two files on the table in front of Craig, "No, don't think he was as far gone as you claim he was..."

"Why would you say that...?" Craig asked, eying the file, "what are these...?"

"The top one is Harkins medical files...the cancer was indeed eating away at his brain, but the treatments were slowing it down...the symptoms you describe would indeed eventually manifest...just not at this stage of his disease..." Hetty explained, "...so Harkins has full use of his faculties..."

Craig just eyed the agents guardedly, "no one can know that for sure..."

Hetty nodded her head in agreement, "but there are some things we do know..."

She nodded towards the other file on the table, stating simply, "those are the financials...that's quite a substantial amount of money..."

"Yeah, well, Harkins pays well..." Craig replied.

"Oh, those aren't from the case, Mr. Craig, those are your own personal accounts..." Hetty said, giving a small wave to the file on the table.

Craig snatched the file from the table and began skimming the contents, "how did you get these..."

"But wait there's more..."Hetty deapanned, as she directed his attention to the screen, "Mr. Beale, if you please..."

The screen jumped to life, and the thermal images of the ambush flared across the screen...

"Now see this..." Sam said, as he pointed to the screen, "these small flare ups...that's the merc's Harkins hired, neutralizing all potential threats...that one there, where they took out your driver...but here—this guy moves up to your position them backs off a few seconds later...why is that?"

Craig shrugged, "thought I was already dead I guess..."

Sam looked at the man pointedly, "no, these men are professionals...their livelihood and freedom depend on the success of the mission—witnesses aren't left behind—_**unless**_ they are meant to be..."

"So what's the going rate for betraying your team...?" Deeks ground out, levering himself off the couch to come toe to toe with the Marshall, "You didn't need to follow a signal...you already knew where Harkins was going to be..."

Looking around the boathouse and realizing the damning nature of the evidence, Craig looked towards Hetty and said evenly, "I want a deal..."

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: please tell me that wasn't one big convoluted mess...I tried to tie everything together but kept getting the chapter so bogged down in details...I hope there was enough there that the rest was easy to piece together...


	13. Chapter 13

**The Bad Guys Never Forgive & Never Forget**

**Chapter 13**

a/n: yah, the rescue at last...last chapter then the epilogue...I'm sorry to say it probably does not contain the level of "Callen torture" some of you requested...but, after the struggles I had with the last chapter...I just want the pain (mine) to be over...

**...NCIS LA...**

"_Because a quick death is to clean...too good for that Judas," Harkins ground out angrily, slamming his fist into the metal tray, "...because as satisfying as tearing into his flesh—the tearing out his heart...laying bare his fears, seeing his soul consumed in guilt...__**that's **__what destroys a man like our detective...and you, agent Callen, will be the instrument in that destruction..."_

"_I will not help you destroy a good man..." Callen spat out angrily._

_Turning back toward the bound agent, a sadistic smile crossing his features, Harkins replied conversationally, as he reached down and picked up a coiled whip from the cart, "What makes you think you have a choice..."_

**...ncis la...**

Time had lost all meaning to Callen as he needed all his energy to concentrate on merely pulling air into his lungs...the fire burning across his back from the repeated lashes of the whip all consuming.

He had suffered his fair share of beatings, broken bones...hell, he had taken five bullets to the chest...but nothing quite prepared him for the feel of a whip bitingand tearing across his bare flesh.

"Just remember who brought you to this, agent Callen..." Harkins said casually.

"I know...exactly...who to blame...Harkins..." Callen ground out around the pain.

"Do you now..." Harkins intoned conversationally as he turned and laid the whip on the cart, much to Callen's relief.

Callen watched as Harkins frowned as he pick and a put down many of the implements on the metal cart.

"Hey, if they're that disappointing we can always postpone our little play date..." Callen said, if he could get the man monologueing again, he hoped it would distract him from his "toys" on the cart. Harkins had actually gone on for nearly twenty minutes extolling the virtues of the whip as a form of punishment and torture, before deciding to demonstrate on the agent's backside.

Harkins turned and smiled at the agent, "...play date...cute; but save that bravado for when Marty arrives...you're gonna need it..."

"It's been hours, your man forget how to get here..." Callen pressed, hoping to get more information on Harkins inside man.

Harkins shook his head, "he's merely finding the best way to manipulate your team into finding this place...**or** trying to cut a deal," Harkins stopped and cocked his head to one side as though in thought, before continuing conversationally, "men's baser natures are sometimes hard to predict when cornered-but either way he plays it, I will have what I want..."

"You're really going to risk going back to prison to get revenge...is killing me, seeing Deeks guilt...is it really more important than a chance at freedom..."Callen asked, "you could have been half way around the world by now."

"Even a caged bird sings, agent Callen and we must take our victories where we can get them..." Harkins replied. "Besides, who is to say I can't have both?"

"When your guy gets here, he's gonna be backed up by a whole team of agents..." Callen eyed Harkins suspicioulsy, "how are you planning on getting away from that...?"

"I do have a US Marshalll in my employee..." Harkins replied.

"And if your man is cutting a deal right now, he won't be able to help you," Callen commented.

"There's always a plan B and C if your really creative..." Harkins said, holding up a syringe case and a remote device, adding smugly, "and I am nothing, if not creative."

**...ncis la...**

The teams were assembled on the service road, six miles from the compound when they pulled off.

Sam went to the back door and opened it, pulling Craig out bodily and slamming him against the car, "He expects you to call him when the assault team was ready to pull out, right..."

Craig nodded, "I was suppose to call him...give him about a two hour lead time..."

"Well, he's getting about twenty minutes...call him..." Sam demanded, tossing the phone towards the agent.

Nodding towards Kensi, he said, "Watch him, I'm going to go over the plans with the other teams...check the maps one more time...we only get one shot at this...if Harkins gets away from us..."

Kensi nodded, and turned back to the car, her eyes momentarily resting on her partner in the front seat before cold eyes turned on Craig, "one misplaced word...I suspect you of trying to give Harkins a code word...I swear to god I'll shoot you myself...right here...right now..."

Craig just nodded and dialed the number, "hey, Harkins, went off without a hitch...teams are being pulled together as we speak...yeah, two hours at least...ookaayyy..." the man intoned slowly, ending the call and turning towards Kensi, "He's still there...and..." Craig hesitated, "and he's waiting..."

"Waiting...thought you said you were supposed to find the place after he was gone...?" Kensi questioned suspiciously, "you were supposed to get credit for finding the compound and recovering assests...so you could supply him with Intell..."

"That was the original plan..." Craig said.

"And finding Deeks...getting him back alive..." Kensi asked pointedly, "was that also part of the plan..."

When the man looked away, it gave Kensi all the answer she needed and it took every bit of her self control not to kill the man where he stood.

**...ncis la...**

"Hhmmm...they're early...cut a deal then..." Harkins said as he looked over at the computer that was beeping, explaining casually, "perimeter monitor...your friends are here Agent Callen...guess we better not tarry...can't leave my coup-de-gre incomplete...Marty would be so disappointed..."

Attempting to put as much distance between himself and Harkins, Callen thrashed against his bindings, his breath coming in short, pained gasps around the gag that had been put in his mouth when Harkins began his latest round of torture.

"Really agent Callen, you're going to cause my gift to be unreadable and crooked if you don't stop squirming..." the madman chided as he raised the straight edged razor to Callen's bare and bloody chest.

Despite his best efforts, Callen flinched, his grunts of pain muffled around the gag as Harkins carefully cut into the agents chest...though the cuts were deep, they were in and of themselves non life threatening..."there now, almost done..."

Harkins stopped to look into the agents pained filled face and asked, "...and I have to wonder...who will you really be seeing when you look in the mirror.." he waved a hand over Callens chest, "who will you really be blaming...?"

Callen again yelled behind the gag as Harkins went back to his cutting, his chest was on fire to match his back and his breath was coming in such short gasps he felt light headed and nauseous.

"There...all done..." Harkins said, giving Callen a quick pat on the shoulder, "now we just wait for the man of the hour..."

Despite the agonizig pain, Callen couldn't help an incredulous look towards the other man, as Harkins casually walked back over to the cart and laid down the bloody razor, picking up a small towel and wiping this hands as he eyes followed the action going on outside the garage on the the split screen monitor.

"Soon, agent Callen...soon we'll find out how good of a friend Marty Deeks really is..." Harkins said, looking at the dangling agent, "...lets see if he so readily betrays someone else that trusts him...?"

**...ncis la...**

"Deeks, where too...where would he be keeping Callen..." Sam pressed as they teams entered the compound.

"Outbuilding or garage...he wouldn't mess up his house..." Deeks replied grimly as he surveyed the area: house, small garden shed, helicopter pad, garage, "there...that one...send the others to secure the house...we're going in there..."

They breached the garage hard and fast, their search quick and wary as they checked for resistance and traps...

Coming into the main part of the cavernous garage, Deeks threw pretense and caution to the wind, yelling angrily, "Harkins...I'm here damn it...so come out...where is agent Callen...?"

The dimly lit building suddenly erupted with the bright light of several flood lamps and the agents had to squint against the sudden glare, "It's over Harkins...you got no place to go..." Deeks yelled.

The deep chuckling drew their attention to the far east wall of the garage and they saw Harkins standing unperturbed next to their missing friend.

"Callen," Kensi gasped at seeing her friend haning limp and unresponsive from a chain attached to the overhead rafters.

"If he's dead...so help me god, " Deeks bit out, sickened by all the blood covering Callen's body.

"Now what kind of gift would it be if it didn't work..." Harkins said in a hurt tone, adding, "...now, how long he keeps working...that's up to you..."

Though only having the use of one arm, Deeks gun was none the less aimed steady at Harkins chest, Deeks wanted nothing more than to empty his clip into the smug psychopath, but he knew the man well enough to know that the game wasn't over...that Harkins always had a plan B; and that Harkins was still playing for a way out...

"What did you do to him...," Deeks demanded.

"Nothing that can't be repaired..." the man replied.

"You're a dead man, Harkins...it ends...it all ends, now...just step away from him-NOW..." Deeks growled out.

Harkins nodded his head and took a few steps away from the unconscious agent, holding his hands up in mock surrender, "wouldn't be to sure of that..." he said as he shook a small remote device in his hand.

"Go ahead...what's your fucking game," Deeks demanded.

Harkins smiled, "ah...Sully...you know me too well..."

"What do you want," Deeks all but screamed at the man.

Kensi shot a concerned look towards her partner, Deeks was tettering on the edge right along with Harkins and if they weren't careful he would plunge right over the edge along with the unstable man standing in front of them.

Hand to his chin as though in thought, Harkins said, "escaping federal custody...close; retrieving my assets...close; beating this damn cancer...working on it; seeing you suffer...check..."

"It's over...you got no place to go...the other agents are rounding up your men as we speak...you're not going anywhere but back to prison..." Deeks said, his tone low and dangerous.

"You so sure of that...?" Harkins asked with a smug smile as he again waved the small remote in his hand, "no, Detective Deeks, I think you're going to let me walk right out that door and get in my helicopter and fly out of here..."

Eyes swiftly going back and forth between her partner and the madman, Kensi asked, "Deeks...?"

Splaying his fingers to indicate he was no threat, then nodding towards the tray, he slowly reached down to pick up an empty syringe, "...slow acting poison..."

"You son of a bitch..." Deeks ground out, taking a few steps towards Harkins, "I should just put a bullet in you now..."

"Ah, ah...ah...now when have I ever played a no win scenerio..."Harkins chided the detective, "here catch..."

Kensi made no attempt to catch the syringe, letting it drop at her feet, looking back at Harkins, who added, "oh, it would be easy to formulate the antidote...but alas, your friend here really doesn't have that much time..."

"Where is it...?" Deeks demanded.

Harkins nodded toward the tray, before picking up a small, seamless looking black box, "no hinges, no seams...and most importantly, no keyhole...it's opened by this remote...you let me walk out of here, when I'm safely in the air I pop the box and your friend is spared..."

"Like we believe that...how do we know there is an antidote and that you'd actually give it to us...?" Kensi spat out.

"You know I always give choices, detective...and this is about you and me...your friend here _**is**_ just a means to get my point across...after all, killing either of you would be to easy_...__**living **__with all of this..." _Harkins prodded.

Deeks eyed the man a moment longer, before he suddenly lowered his gun, "all right..."

"Deeks..." Kensi gasped in surprise.

"Do it Kens...let him leave..." Deeks said tiredly.

"Deeks..." Kensi questioned more forcefully.

"Kens..." Deeks replied in warning," tell the teams to let him go...tell Sam to be ready...and get those paramedics in here...Callen needs help, now..."

"Glad to see you don't betray everyone who puts their trust in you..." Harkins said smugly as he skirted the edge of the wall and was soon out the door.

As soon as Harkins was out the door, Kensi was saying into her earbud, "Sam, he's heading your way," while Deeks rushed to their unconscious friend.

He stood for a minute in shock, afraid to touch his friend and cause him more pain; it was Kensi coming up to him moments later that jolted him from his shock, "we need to get him down...come on Deeks, stay with me...we need to get Callen down..."

Deeks carefully supported and lowered the senior field agent to the ground as Kensi found the mechanism to lower the chain from the rafters. Pulling back from the injured man, Deeks shirt was now covered in Callen's blood.

"So much blood, god Kensi...there's so much blood...we need to find out the sourse...try to staunch it..." Deeks babbled.

Kensi found a bloody towel on the cart and handed it to the dective to press against the wounds...after a moment he lifted the towel in an attempt to find the source of the bleeding...what they saw left them staring at each other-horrified and speechless.

Across Callens chest were dozens of small but deep cuts...cuts that were not random but had a distinct pattern...

...for carved out across Callen's chest was the ultimate torture...one that would stay with and torture both men for some time to come...

...across Callen's chest were the words..."Marty Deeks"...

Neither of them noticed the subtle click as the locking mechanism on the box was activated...when a lone shot rang out from the direction of the helicopter pad...when Sam finally made it into the garage...

**...NCIS LA...**


	14. Epilogue

**The Bad Guys Never Forget & Never Forgive**

**Epilogue**

Sensing a presence in his room, Callen stirred quietly in his bed and slowly opened his eyes; glad to note that after nearly a week in the hospital the pain from his injuries had finally subsided into a dull, itchy throb.

He would need a few more surgeries...mostly cosmetic...to repair and minimize the deep, scarring slashes to his back and chest. He had refused to look at himself, at the wounds Harkins had inflicted on his body, to not only hurt him but to continue to haunt Deeks.

Reigning in his simmering rage he began scanning his surroundings, noting the deep shadows and dimmed lights coming from the hallway indicating that it was most likely late evening. He also noted, with a roll of his eyes and a barely suppressed sigh, that he was indeed not alone. Deeks was sitting near the window, blanketed in the room's deep shadows...and, apparently, lost deep in thought, since Callen's stirring did not gain the detective's attention.

While Deeks had rarely came to visit Callen (at least apparently, when he was conscious), he knew the detective had barely left the hospital in the week since he had been found and brought in. From Hetty, he knew the whole team had been there over the first forty-eight hours after he had been brought in, waiting for news of his condition. As he stabilized and the doctor gave them all assurances that Callen was indeed healing with no signs of complication...things slowly got back to what counted as normal for the NCIS team, and they all had dropped in at various times through the week to check on him. Hetty had even called Nate in to see to the team's needs and help them through the fallout that was sure to eventually rear its head.

All except-Deeks...oh, he had come in with the whole team a few times over those first few days when Callen was still so doped up on pain meds and antibiotics he couldn't see straight; and in the haziness of those memories he sensed more than actually remembered, that while it had been Deeks in the physical sense, it wasn't the Deeks he knew...this one was more subdued, more wary...the laid-back personality and irrepressible antics that made the detective who he was, now seemed forced and hollow...if they were even present at all.

He also had dim memories of Deeks constantly firing furtive looks towards Sam; something that his partner, in turn, was obviously taking great pains to ignore. Wanting to nip in the bud any ill feelings between the men that this case may have engendered, Callen confronted Sam about Deeks very "un-Deeks-like behavior".

It was then that his partner explained that there was no blame between them, at least not on Sam's part. He told Callen how after he had been rescued and they were securing the area the detective had seemed to disappear from the crime scene...eliciting no small amount of terror from both himself and Kensi, fearing that one of Harkins men had been missed in the raid and had somehow gotten to the detective.

A frantic search found him nearly a hundred yards from the crime scene, and though Kensi had wanted desperately to go to her partner, Sam convinced her that it was him that needed to see to the stricken man...

"_Kens...he's probably in shock...and worse, he is no doubt taking the blame for this square on his shoulders," Sam had explained, "he needs to know that the team doesn't blame him..."_

_A startled look crossed Kensi's features as she exclaimed, "...of course we don't blame him Sam..." stopping to look her teammate dead in the eyes she reiterated more slowly, warning slowly creeping into her voice, "...we don't...you don't blame him...right? Callen won't blame his for this...?"_

"_No, Kensi, we don't...I don't blame him," Sam said forcefully, "we all know something like this could happen to any one of us...but right now he doesn't see it that way. He knows you don't blame him and on some level he knows the same of Hetty, and Erin 'n Nell...but G is __**my**__ partner...he needs to hear it from me..."_

_Hearing an uncharacteristic but heartfelt plea in his last statement, Kensi slowly nodded her head, giving her partner one last worried glance before she turned back to the crime scene._

_Once he was sure Kensi was not going to change her mind, Sam turned back to the detective. He noted that Deeks was on his knees, hunched over so far his head was almost touching the ground in front of him, arms wrapped protectively around his midsection._

_As Sam closed the distance between them he could clearly smell sickness and he heard Deeks deep, choking coughs as the man appeared to be trying to turn himself inside out. He became concerned when it appeared Deeks couldn't quite catch his breath between the dry heaves wracking his body._

_No longer concerned with startling the detective, Sam quickly fell to the man's side, wrapping an arm around Deeks shoulders to keep him steady, "whoa...whoa...come on man, you gotta breath for me here...come on, Deeks, you're gonna hyperventilate if you don't calm down..."_

_It was clear the man was in shock and wasn't quite able to acknowledge that Sam was even there; and despite being in Sam's firm grip, Deeks began to rock back and forth, "oh god...oh god...did you...oh god...if he dies...what Harkins did to him...ugh..." Deeks pulled from Sam's grip as dry heaves began tearing through the detective's body again, and in between the heaving Sam clearly heard Deeks whispered, ..."my fault...my fault...my fault...Callen dies...my fault..."_

_Angry at the situation, at Harkins for daring come after his team and fearful of Deeks psychological state, Sam pulled the man back up, "stop it...just stop it...we got to him, he's alive...Callen is on his way to the hospital...Harkins' is dead...it's over man..."_

_Flinching at the man's angry tone, Deeks tried to pull away, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...so sorry...so...so-rrr...yyy..." his breathy apologies turning into full on sobs._

_Fighting back his own tears, Sam turned his body so he could pull the sobbing man into a steadying embrace, "it's alright man...no one blames you...it's gonna be alright...it's over..."_

_Sam had no idea how long he kept up the litany of soothing platitudes as he gently rocked them both back and forth, even running a hand over the detective's hair in an attempt to calm the man down. Deeks eventually wore himself out and all but collapsed into Sam's tight hold._

_Sam then nodded towards where he had seen Kensi hovering, having brought one of the EMT's with her._

"_He's exhausted and in shock and that shoulder wound probably needs checked out..." Sam instructed the EMT as he gently laid the semi-conscious man flat._

_..._

"_We only managed to get him to stay in the hospital overnight...he signed himself out AMA," Sam had informed him, "...but since he wouldn't leave the hospital anyway...waiting to hear news on your condition, Hetty allowed it to happen, seeing as how if anything went wrong or he needed anything he was already here..."_

_**/./././././././**_

So, the looks-embarrassment at losing it in front of the Navy SEAL, crying himself to the point of exhaustion in Sam's arms or was it overwhelming guilt. Maybe a little of evertything...but unfortunately it was most likely a good dose of the latter.

With another quiet sigh he knew that now was as good a time as any to finally confront the detective over the guilt he knew the man was carrying; but truly not knowing what he could say to ease his team mates feelings of responsibility...knowing full well, there was nothing anyone said to him that assuaged the guilt he carried when the situation had been reversed —no matter how unfounded it had been; but still, as the team leader...and as a friend...he had to try.

Deeks head whipped around and the younger man fairly flew from his seat at hearing Callen's sigh, "...oh, hey, Callen, man, I didn't mean to wake you...well, uh, I was just going..."

"I don't think so..." Callen said evenly, his steady gaze holding the detective rooted to his spot, as the agent levered himself up to a more seated position in the bed before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Huh...what, uh...what, you need something," Deeks babbled nervously, as he slowly inched his way to the door, "uh, you need me to get the nurse or something?"

"No...I'm fine..." Callen replied.

"Oh, uh...okay..." Deeks stuttered, running his hands up and down his thighs as he looked anyplace but towards the man in the bed.

"Haven't seen you much this week..." Callen commented lightly.

Deeks just shrugged, "I...well, ya' know lot of paperwork and all...and debriefs...just trying to...uh, wrap up the case and all..."

"Like hell..." Callen countered smugly.

Deeks head shot up in surprise, "What?"

A smirk on his face, Callen stated, "you heard me...I know you've been here, at the hospital, every day-until someone drags you home, then, we all know you just sneak back in."

Deeks just shook his head and scowled, and Callen could have sworn he heard Deeks grumble something about 'who snitched'.

"Look at me..." Callen requested quietly.

Deeks shuffled uncomfortably, and Callen finally sighed and said firmly, yet gently, "Deeks...Marty...look—at-me..."

Deeks head shot up in surprise at not only the agent's dulcet tone, but also the use of his first name.

When he was certain he had the detective's attention, Callen said slowly, enunciating every word, "I—Don't—Blame—You; this is all on Harkins, none of it is on you..."waiting a beat to gauge the man's reaction and not particularly liking what he saw he continued more sternly, "...are you hearing me?"

Deeks snorted and shook his head, "Yeah, right, because you were the one that betrayed him—pissed him off...no, Callen, he wanted to twist the knife...and he knew just how to do it...he just wanted to make me suffer and didn't care who got hurt in the process. It should have been me; you wouldn't even have pinged on the guy's radar if it weren't for my association with NCIS. You wouldn't have been riding with the transport that day...NCIS wouldn't have been involved at all; it would have just been me and the Marshall's," turning away and running his hands down his face, Deeks shook his head and intoned sadly, " I just don't think...I don't think after all this if...if I can do this...be the liaison..."

Though Deeks voice trailed off at the end, Callen clearly heard the words whispered more as unguarded thoughts than conversation; and dozens of ways to play the upcoming conversation filtered quickly through his mind...and making the wrong choice might just cost him his liaison officer..._**and **_his friend.

It sent a new rage burning through him...the bastard was dead and he was still haunting his team...haunting Deeks every waking (and no doubt sleeping) moments.

Callen decided he needed to play hardball...needed to pull the detective from his funk; soft shoeing and platitudes would only make the detective retreat further...he needed to spark a fire in Deeks gut, raise his ire.

Quirking a thoughtful brow, he asked, "So, then, you're saying, _**we're**_ responsible for what they...these guys we take down; we're responsible for what they do when they hurt people..." it was a risky opening gambit on his part, considering it seemed a near a prerequisite for their job-to take on all kinds on unfounded guilt.

Callen sighed hoping his gamble would pay off as he commented in a hurt tone, "...sorry man, I didn't realize you blamed us..."

The confused look on Deeks face was almost comical, but Callen managed to keep hold of his scowl as Deeks sputtered, "Blame you...uh, Callen...what am I supposed to be blaming you for?"

"You said it...or implied it-as agents, or as cops, we're responsible when the bad guys make the conscious decision to go after someone...doesn't matter if it's for revenge, to cover their trail, to just get away...we're responsible—_because we pushed them to it._ So, if that's your logic then the whole team needs to turn in their resignations..." Callen explained.

Deeks brow knitted in confusion and he shook his head, his tone one of exasperation, as he asked, "Callen...what-the hell-are you talking about?"

Callen quirked a brow and asked pointedly, "...certain Serbian mobster ring any bells with you?"

His mind finally grasping what Callen was referring to, Deeks questioned, "Vakar? Are you somehow comparing this to Vakar? That is so not the same and you know it." Deeks snapped out the last sentence.

"Isn't it...you almost died...and that... "Callen pointed to the detective and then to himself as he continued, "..._**that-**_ would have been on us."

Angry now, Deeks ranted, "No...It's not! You were tortured..._**tortured**_, G...!"

"And _**you...you**_ were targeted, ambushed...shot point blank because of **your **association with NCIS; because Vakar wanted something from us..._from Kensi_. Without it, Vakar would never have come after** you**," Callen rejoined emphatically.

"It's not the same...Vakar; that was part of the job...Harkin's—what he did, what he wanted-that was personal..." Deeks replied.

Callen shot the detective a surprised look, "Was it? You seem to forget that it was NCIS that coordinated the final take down...so I think we can put this in the 'work related' category. And remember...Vakar wanted his wife dead so he could get to his son...nothing more personal than that; you think he wouldn't have tortured Kensi to get that information...?"

When Deeks just looked away, shaking his head in disagreement to Callen's assessment, Callen tried a different approach, "you think it was any less personal for us...for the team, when Vakar had you shot? The way I see it, it doesn't really matter why—for information...for revenge; Harkins and Vakar...they both wanted something and they were willing to do whatever it took to get it."

Callen knew he wasn't getting through to the detective, didn't know what to say to lessen the man's guilt...knew when the situation had been reversed he and the team held similar feelings when they finally put it all together—that it had been an NCIS op that had put Deeks in the hospital with two slugs to his chest.

The agent sighed again, it boiled down to blame and guilt...didn't seem to register with the detective that he himself had been the original target, that he had been set up by the very people that should have been watching his back...that he had no control over the actions of a dirty agent...or Harkin's vengeance.

"You think it would have been any easier on anyone if it had been you...knowing how much the man hated you," Callen asked, "do you think it would have been any easier knowing how much the man wanted to make you suffer before he killed you."

"Oh, and this is so much easier knowing what he did to you just to get at me..." Deeks ground out, waving his arms in Callen's general direction.

"No, it's not..." Callen agreed, adding pointedly, "but he wanted me alive...a little worse for it, maybe, for NCIS's part in his arrest: but you, his torture for you before he would have finally decided to kill you..." Callen just trailed off as he shook his head, some of Harkin's words and threats came back to him, causing minute shudders to course through his already battered body...things he had decided from the start that he was leaving out of his 'official' report, never wanting Deeks to know the horrors Harkins wished to exact on the detective...the man had enough to fuel his nightmares.

Deeks just sighed heavily and turned away from the bed, dropping his head heavily into his hand, "I just don't know...I don't know if I can do it anymore..."

"Yes you can...you have to, or Harkin's wins," Callen said forcefully.

Angry and frustrated, Deeks ground out, "Don't try that line...that's a bunch of BS and you know it..."

"So you giving up...walking away from your job—from your team; that's a win in your book...?" Callen snapped back.

"That's not fair..." Deeks shot back.

"Isn't it...no one ever said this job was easy...didn't come with_** more**_ than its fair share of risks," Callen rejoined, "we all knew that when we made the decision to carry a shield. You came back after you were shot...so don't be such a damn hypocrite..."

"Excuse me...a hypocrite..." Deeks intoned with surprise, asking angrily, "...and just where the hell did that come from?"

"You heard me.._**.you**_ came back to NCIS after you were shot...and you say you don't blame us, yet you don't extend us..._**me**_- the same courtesy; you're opinion of us that low..." Callen shot back, not giving Deeks a chance to respond he continued, "yeah, it sucked...when Vakar shot you, when Harkin's decided to use me as his whipping boy...but in the end we were stronger and we took them down...so, yeah, we may have taken some hits, but we **all** walked away: so, I put it in the win column when _**my team...my friends**_ can go home at the end of the day."

The detective just looked at the agent, stunned into silence by the raw emotion in Callen's words...giving Callen a chance to drive his point home, "So, if its guarantees you're looking for, then maybe you're right, detective...maybe you are in the wrong business."

Callen held Deeks gaze, holding his breathe and waiting, hoping that he hadn't pushed too hard, as he asked quietly, "so, do I still have a **team** to come back to?"

After a few tense moments, Deeks sighed and said hoarsely, "honestly, man...I don't know."

Before Callen could utter another word, Deeks spun on his heel and was out the door.

**...NCIS LA...**

Callen was released from the hospital two days later, desperate for news of the detective. Marty had not only stopped coming to the hospital altogether, but according to Sam, had informed Hetty that he needed time off and was going back to the PD.

Shaking his head, Callen said, "It's my fault. I pushed too hard..."

Rolling his eyes in frustration, Sam said, "Didn't you just have this blame game discussion with shaggy...now you're going and doing the same thing. Don't blame yourself G...you gotta give the boy time to wrap his head around all this."

"But Hetty said he went back to the PD...I basically told him if he couldn't hack this job he should just leave..." Callen replied, sighing in annoyance, "and apparently the one time he actually listens to me..."

Sam just snorted, causing Callen to look at his partner sharply, "you think this is funny...our team is falling apart, Sam..."

Sam shook his head, "...no, G, it _isn't_ funny; but the boy just needs some space..."

"So, you think he'll be back..." Callen asked.

"He's come back before..." Sam answered with a shrug. "There has been plenty in this job to make him go running back to the PD...But he hasn't..."

Callen just nodded and absently turned to look out the window for the rest of the car trip to his house.

**...NCIS LA...**

Despite doctor's orders, Callen was back at work the next day. Sitting in his empty house left him too much time to think and the few times he plucked up the courage to call the detective it had gone to voice mail.

So, it was with a put upon sigh that the condition for his early return to work was 'desk duty'; so sifting through the mound of paperwork Hetty had so graciously found for him, he didn't notice the person's approach to his desk until a light shadow was cast over his files.

Looking up suddenly, he was surprised to note that it was none other than Deeks standing in front of him...an unreadable expression on his face as he took in the mound of paperwork on the agent's desk.

"Deeks..." Callen said, unsure what to say to the man.

"Callen," Deeks responded simply, his eyes still roaming the top of the desk, before he nodded, "desk duty...really sucks..."

Callen just snorted and closed the file he had been working on, "that it does..."

"Well since you've got so much already...guess one more piece won't matter..." Deeks said, holding out a file to the agent.

"What's this," Callen asked warily as he slowly reached for the file.

"My resignation from..." Deeks said.

"Resignation!" Callen interrupted heatedly, "So, that's it then...you're really leaving..."

"Well, yeah, I'm finally leaving..." Deeks replied with a shrug, "you were right..."

Callen looked at the file in his hand, then at the detective, before shaking his head, and standing up, waving the file at the detective, "No...You know what...no. I'm not accepting this..."

Deeks eyebrows shot up in surprise, as he took a few steps back from the suddenly angry agent, before his face settled an uncertainty, "so...you...uh, you didn't mean all that stuff you were saying about us being a team..."

"What? What's that have to do..." Callen was so angry he could barely think straight, as he waved the file in Marty's face, "you're the one who's leaving..."

Unbeknownst to either man, Hetty had stepped into the bullpen, her commanding voice cutting through the argument brewing, "Mr. Callen, I think there has been somewhat of a misunderstanding..."

Both men whirled to face the operations manager, Callen waving the file and saying, "What misunderstanding...he's leaving..."

Nodding towards the file in Callen's hand, Hetty asked, "Did you _**read**_ the file, Mr. Callen?"

"Well...no," Callen said, suddenly unsure and feeling like he had missed something.

As Callen flipped open the file to scan its contents, the rest of the team stepped around and into the bullpen, exchanging expectant looks as the expression on Callen's face changed from anger, to confusion, to surprise.

"These are resignation papers from LAPD...you're...you're leaving the LAPD," Callen said slowly, as the implications of the file finally sunk in, "you're leaving LAPD...and with that, you're giving up your liaison position?" the last more of an accusation than observation as Callen fixed the detective with a scowl.

Noting that Deeks smug grin and the amused looks of the rest of the team were only serving to fuel her SFA's ire, Hetty commented, "Mr. Deeks the other file if you please..."

"What's this...?" Callen asked suspiciously, eying the new file with the same wariness.

"As team leader I need you to sign off on my resignation as your liaison officer so that you can sign these papers..." Deeks explained as he shoved the file in Callen's hands.

With an exasperated sigh, Callen snatched the file away from the detective and flipped it open, scanning its pages...his dark expression morphing to one of confusion before the full impact of what he was seeing finally set in. He looked up at the detective, and then to his team, before turning back to Deeks, "These are transfer orders...for a new agent to my team...for you...! You're finally becoming an agent!"

Deeks just nodded his head emphatically, "that's why I asked Hetty for the time off...why I haven't been around...had to take care of all the paperwork..."

Callen rounded on his partner, light accusation in his tone, "You! You knew didn't you...and you let me worry all this time that he was quitting..."

Sam just chuckled at his partner's ire, holding up his hands in mock defense, while Deeks piped in cheekily, "what, you didn't tell him...wait, really...he was worried...ah, isn't that sweet...don't worry...I'm all yours now..."

Callen then turned to the man that was now the newest agent on his team, a slow, smug smile spreading across his face, "that's so very right, _**Agent**_ Deeks...you're our little Probie now...and don't you ever forget it..."

The bullpen erupted in laughter as Deeks expression changed to exaggerated concern as he babbled, "...what...Probie...what do you mean, Probie...ah, come on Callen, I've been here for four years...I'm not a Probie...really, I'm not gonna have to run through the courtyard naked or learn some secret spy handshake...right..."

Callen just smiled smugly as he signed the files with a small flourish and handed them to Hetty, who commented, "He's all yours now..."

**...NCIS LA...**

a/n: hope that was a satisfactory ending...it was hard to get the Callen/Deeks scene at the beginning to flow, it's a little OOC and chatty for them, but hey, it's AU. The end scene was fun to write...I actually had the epilogue written weeks before I had the last two chapters written.


End file.
